[Mike Aitken]

I Like the “bronze” letters….An interesting, “classic”  look……..
I used simple off white vinyl letters, but sanded  them off during repairs & the boat needs new ones…..  I'll have to look more closely at different colors.
……Nice job on the sewing machine!…..My wife had me doing the “button holes” on our sail covers a few years back …it was fun.
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

Hi Peter,

I'm a “Northern” neighbor….Central NH.  We Kept our D-36 (IRIS)  in Westport Massachusetts, near Cuttyhunk…. & hope this year to have the boat in Portsmouth NH.  Cruise up to Maine……

I spent many years sailing out of Hingham (Lived there for years).  Boston harbor, South Shore & North Shore is a great sailing area. Maine is a short trip away & Lots of “rock” to explore (but if you are from Maine, you know that).  We love the Castine to Brunswick area…….Newport is fun…Make sure you get out to Block Island…. Can be crowded, but very nice!!  Warm water!

Do you moor in Hingham Harbor, or on the Back river near Hewitts cove?

Welcome to the Dickerson Board!
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

Al,
I'd be surprised if they used water based paint…….The “old” water based (latex) never really got “hard”….The film strength was not comparable to oil based paints. 

Now folks like System Three make water based catalyzed Urethanes that work quite well;  in the cool/damp New England spring weather these would go on & cure well….That said it's  a “thin application” paint and needs multiple coats.  Me, I've used Brightside,  Easypoxy & Kirby paint – All with good results….  All oil based 2 coats.  Pretty simple stuff to work with.

[Mike Aitken]

Hank,
Paint…..Primers are 2 part epoxies by Alexseal – you could use Awlgrip…Over Epoxy/fiberglass These paints ought to give very good durability….Color coats – 2 part Urethane (like Awlcraft)….Made By HMG in the UK…I've had good luck in the past with their paint…..I expect many years with out any “recoat”…..Don't want to revisit this….
Fun is!
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

Barry….Have fun at the show.  I went to the Newport show a couple of weeks ago……Lots to see….Some amazing boats in the water.. Lot's of opportunity to buy all sorts of “boat toys”……..

Thanks for the invite to move south to “fix” boats….I was thinking more along the lines if the BVI's….Warmer weather for the old bones.

If weather permits…..IRIS is getting primer next week….A huge  change.

[Mike Aitken]

Thought I'd post an “IRIS” fun photo……..
Like they said in the movie  “the graduate”…..”Plastics”….or aluminum.  They don't rot…

Fun is!
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

love the floor jack….was that OEM?

[Mike Aitken]

A buddy of mine re-sealed his gaskets on old bronze ports…… & got gasket material from Mcmaster Carr

They have many different types of material & will sell by the foot…
Here is a link to a “how to”
http://sv-rhapsody.blogspot.com/2011/03/port-gaskets.html

mike

[Mike Aitken]

Silly question….

Is the deck on the “79” 41 solid fiberglass (out of a mold) or is it the same as our 1973 D36 – Fiberglass covered Plywood over 2 x2 stringers?….

If it's the plywood over glass – like “IRIS”  , the toe rail  “sits” on top of a laminate of glass cloth – the same fiberglass laminate Dickerson used to cover the deck wraps under the rails…….  Ours has a “doubled up” laminate of around 6-7 oz fiberglass….Although I've found “single laminate” areas in a couple of spots..  The fiberglass is pretty intact under the rail (except under the areas that rotted) ….The fiberglass can crack on the exposed radius if hit ( and leaks) ……The “joint” where this fiberglass ends is hidden behind the rub rail – the glass just wraps over the ply edge (to protect the “edge grain”) and drops a couple inches………..No joint under the rail.

The “”culprit” is the sealant that the rail is “bedded” in.  From what I can gather it seems to me to be an old-style ” bedlast” type sealant- some Linseed oil type sealant we used in the 1960's & 70's…… The sealant all  dries out and looks like a piece of old newspaper that breaks into “dust” and does absolutely NOTHING to seal the joint.  …How do I know??…I had to take my rails 100% off IRIS  to fix rotted areas under the rails……  The sealant was entirely gone….100% not working….The only thing keeping water out from under the  rail (and more importantly , out of the plywood, via bolt holes,  under the rail….was the light caulk and paint that was “slathered” up the toe rail 1/8 – 1/4 inch on the inner side of the rail……….Thanks to the prior owner….(still leaked)

I wonder if all the nuts were removed from the inside of the rail bolts , and “lightly” tapped, if the rail would not lift up ( all you need is 1/4 inch).  I did not see any screws on the rail when I removed mine…The only screws were in the stern “block” areas…..

Or perhaps cut a chamfer on the inside/outside of the rail where it meets the deck & caulk with brown boatlife – sticks well, flexible………….I'd suspect that's where the water is probably coming from…..

I have pictures of the rails off if you need to see…..Just a thought….
Best,
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

Teddy,
The “best” place to get sail dimensions & sail plans is off an actual drawing…..They are out there.  I have a D-36 sailplan “copy”  hanging on the wall in the house…..

Depending on your rig, it's reasonably easy to calculate sail area….Having a drawing makes it a whole lot  easier……Also great for standing rigging……

Nowhere in the drawings will you find the sail area for flying an asymmetric spinnaker (425) ; You will find the main (224)  mizzen staysail ( my plans show a staysl' at 238 sq ft – mine is about 250) and the mizzen is pretty “static” at  (120)…..My Hi-cut jib is approx. 250….for a total of around 1140 sq feet if I fly everything …I have & it's fun in about 10-12 Kts of wind………

The plans show both “J” attachments, as explained by Barry…..The “j” the boat is 12' without bowsprit attachment ….With the bowsprit the plans show 13' 8″………I use a Hi-cut jib that is around a 135…easier to see & Buzzards bay tends to be windy…..

More sails = more fun!

hope this helps…..
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

Hi Jimmy….
I hope this is a “welcome” to Dickerson ownership……

I have pretty much the same boat…a 36 footer, glass hull & fiberglass on wood – I'm fixing lots of the “issues” you mention….
There are various ways to do it all……If you have decent carpentry skills, it's all fixable – just takes some time, depending on the level of finish/construction you want.

If you buy the boat…I'll try to give some insight..

There is another D-36 about an hour away from me….same situation…..

Best,
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

Welcome to the forum…..

a bit of info on stuffing boxes/packing from a prior thread…..pretty straightforward.  The stuffing box is pretty simple to open/re-pack.

http://dickersonowners.org/forum/index.php?topic=273.msg945#msg945

Up north we haul  but I know some folks who like to stay in the water year round.  Some things to watch – most of it's pretty straight forward common sense stuff…. Lots of the generic “winterization” stuff to do…….

Always issues with zincs on shafts – they need replacement a bit more often.
Thru hull seacocks – ought to be “opened/closed” monthly to not freeze up opened or closed
Be “wary” of 120 power & power feeds to your boat….some “imaginative” power feeds out there – Use quality marine rated cords/receptacles.
Bilge pump working – on “auto” – with decent battery capacity/charger system.
Make sure the head is winterized & won't freeze.
Make sure the engine & intake/exhaust lines winterized (I usually just drain).  Change the oil/antifreeze as per usual for annual maint.
Make sure all scuppers clean & free – hate to have the cockpit fill…..
Basic weather proofing……..Keep the weather out…..
Decent lines & chafe gear.

I'm sure others will chime in…
best, mike

[Mike Aitken]

I have some older (decent) sails…replaced all with new.
I have 1 bronze cap left….
I might have a stanchion base or 2…I've been collecting them.
Dunno…..I have a bunch of “boat stuff I've collected over the years…..
Might have a decent ICOM radio…..
What exactly are you looking for?

Lots of non-Dickerson stuff can end up on a Dickerson…..
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

Malone,
Yep, big stand alone shut off valve in the line from the tank to the filter –  as built by Dickerson. It's up “above” the filter, sort of out of the way mounted on a bulkhead…..

I have 2 in line filters –  a big “can” in front of the Racor. 20 micron big filter…10 micron Racor.  Racor stays real clean…I also have a vacuum gauge for the Racor to determine filter condition…..A long, expensive,  story…….
I'll send a photo if you would like one.
Mike

[Mike Aitken]

It snowed in NH yesterday…Iris is already “winterized”!

[Author]

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