Workshop Notes.

So I used my expensive (3 euro a pair) foam rollers, for chemical paints (Ones for water based paints dissolve and disintegrate in turpentine based paints I discovered...). Now In understand Manfred's comments about bubbles from foam rollers. These can be removed by very lightly re-rolling after the paint has settled a bit. So the paint job is not great but it will do and it is starting to warm up here so time to get Flashheart finished.

The roller technique is going to stay in my book of Moth tricks because it saves so much time and paint compared to spraying. Which although leads to potentially better results I feel is is just not worth it. So a chemical paint foam roller is my 2nd favorite tool at the moment. Number 1 is the thermos flask full of tea.

I got some "Spalt Abdeckband" tape and it looks like if it stays attached to the foil it could really be a drag reducer. I will wet flat my flap then stick it on so that next layer of paint on the horizontal will but up to the tape leading edge. If this works well it could really be a good tip to reduce drag on 2007/2008 Fastacraft main foils. However if it is does not stay attached it could be another frustrating waste of effort.

Talking of frustrating waste of effort I thought I had done a great job on the repair of an Assassin main foil. However I managed to break it with my bare hands which is my scientific measure for if it is strong enough to sail with. The original problem and reason it broke again is de-lamination inside the T joint. I think that to repair this I would need to make a Bladerider type fitting so that the T can not de-lamination so easily. This can wait for next winter (I hope).

2 more paint jobs, wet flat foils, fix trolley cradle and rig a height adjuster so that I am ready to sail. However I still have the Yacht Club Weiden Start boat to silicon back together before the season starts as I removed all it's fittings, windows and woodwork and still have to attach them back on. I am doing this to pay off my entry fee into the sailing club. I do not fully understand how charging a lot of money to enter a sailing club helps promote sailing but I do not have a problem with being an active member of a sailing club and helping out with the club's work load. It should only take me 1 or 2 days to get the Start boat water proof and ready for the first race so that I avoid being keel hauled by the Commodore.

This time of year is always a tense one. The job list for the winter needs to be under control so that you can look forward to the spring with time and energy and not be spending warm sunny days in the workshop. With Touch Rugby World Cup training commitments this is starting to get a bit stressful but then it always does at this time of year.

Moth sailing is too expensive without sponsors.

Hairy Bum

I am slowly getting through the list of jobs for the new moth session. Nothing dramatic but tidying up stuff.

Opinion about the best way to paint a boat is divided. There are those that say spray painting is the way to go and there is me. Spray painting is lots of mess and waste and I can not be bothered so I thought I would just use a roller to get close enough to a good finish so long as you do not get to close. I have learned my lesson (the hard way) that rollers for water based paints dissolve in chemical paints so I bought the slightly more expensive ones. Now i am not saying that my workshop is a dust free environment but I am really disappointed that half the hair from the roller stuck to the roller and the other half did not.

So maybe it time to spend even more money on roller quality or give in and spray paint.

I have ordered some of this: Spalt Abdeckband and I hope it will give me that missing 3 knots of boat speed off the line. It better do it cost 30 Euros.