Iris Refit

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JFJ
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue September 6th, 2016, 12:07 am

Iris Refit

Post by JFJ »

OK
With the Covid nonsense and lockdowns, the season wasnt as good as it could have been... though I did launch as soon as the RYA advised (Rear commodore Sailing this year - cant be seen launching when the club was officially closed)

Solo sailed down the Irish coast from Killeagh (in Strangforde Lough) to Dublin, via the delightful Carlingford Marina (on the way down), with a belting 80 mile broad reach back from Malahide to Killeagh in a day. (engine assisted from time to time)

Annual diesel consumption - 60L

Anyway. Decided it was time to properly 'explore' Iris when she came out of the water.
Stripped off all the mahogany and teak inside the boat (sun faded)- that which wasnt fibreglassed in. Taken home to restore during lockdown.
As chronicled before, I found that the cockpit bulkhead was rotten a few years ago, and replaced all I could. The bottom end of the rotten piece was behind the chart table (an hour or two of cursing to get that out!), and badly warped and water stained ply on the side of the engine compartment.

I spoke with Alastair Duffern - a local boatbuilder of high end 'woody' dinghies, about sourcing some genuine marine grade ply to replace. He reccomended I dint! He gave me the contact of his supplier - who wanted £100 a sheet - and £50 carriage for half inch. Alastair recommended epoxied Birch ply for the internal stuff as necessary - with mahogany veneer where it might show. Birch ply is heavier and stronger than marine ply - retains its shape well, and has lots of ply. It should be fine as all repairs are inside this time.

Both pieces are remade now, epoxy coated and ready for test fitting. I will paint and finish after a test fit later.

While I had the boat stripped out (well, the kitchen is still there at the moment - a man has to have tea with this), I started to look to the wiring. Some lights had gone on the blink (so to speak) and it wasnt the fixtures... On the mast, only the Ariel actually works now, and I had to use a backup set of nav lights this year. I noticed that most of the internal wiring was pretty neatly done under the lockers, but a few wires (probably added later) ran through the bilge, so they need to be fixed now, as I have access. The rest need checked and labeled! Part of the control panel seems to have faulty switches too - I will have to source similar to replace - pity Maplin is gone.

Then I fell for a spell. 2 boats laid up next to mine got the full 'media blasting'.... I couldnt resist. I had epoxy coated the bilge keels when I first launched, and there were a few chips needing attention... I had never stripped the antifoul off this boat- just a quick sand before slapping more on each year. 6 hours later, it was done. The blaster guy measured 4MM of antifoul between the bilgekeels and the centrekeel! Iris looks a bit sorry now. there are a lot of dings - most of the old osmotic protection came off with the media blasting. The bilge keels I took back to base metal - and immediately re-coated with 'Juton 90' - (apparently a new wonder material used on supertankers, according to an aquaitance in the welding trade).

The sacrificial grounding strip I fitted to the keel (in Iroko) is holding well - though it was never well faired, and I need to do that this year I will have to add some iroko laminate strips down one side to give me bulk enough to fair back. With Iroko I found that a good plane wont stay good for long - I find an angle grinder with a flap wheel works better! The remnants of the previous fiberglass sacrificial strip are pealing as they go up the sides of the centre keel - I have to grind them off completely now. Fill and fair the cosmetic bits, let her dry out well, then 3-5 coats of VCTar

I am sure I will find more - another coat or two of Juton on the bilgplates this weekend - if the weather stays kind.

Just covering the teak on the outside until its warmer, now, though it needs attention. It will get 2 coats of Sickens as I have good luck with that before - and got 2 years out of the last application...

Not really a log here - though I will update if I find anything interesting when the mast comes down, or I break something else apart!
Ready,
aye Ready
John F J (Iris of Glenarm, GH26, No9)
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Eventide Owners Group
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Re: Iris Refit

Post by Eventide Owners Group »

Hello John

Please send the log into us at the normal mail address! enquiries@eventides.org.uk

We have some trophies to award every year and readers love to see the logs on the site!

Good luck with the refit.

Regards,
John
Eventiders
Web site Coordinator
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