Tuesday Tool of the Week - Corona Europa Badger Style Brush

20 Jan 26:

Corona Europa™ No. 16038. This badger-style pure China bristle brush is soft with an extra fine tip. It is excellent for use marine varnishes and urethanes, as well as oil-based alkyd enamels and stains. The hand-formed chisel provides a sharper cutting edge and will ensure a truly superb paint finish. Black lacquered hardwood special peg handle. Stainless steel ferrule.  

Merci Train Quarante et Huit Voiture - Virginia

 19 Jan 26:

Well they came by boat from France, the MAGELLAN, does that count...

The French Gratitude Train (French: Train de la Reconnaissance française), commonly referred to as the Merci Train, were 49 World War I era "forty and eight" boxcars gifted to the United States by France in response to the 1947 U.S. Friendship Train. It arrived in Weehawken, New Jersey on February 2, 1949. Cars were distributed to each State and Virginia's car is now in the War Museum in Newport News, Virginia. We go by and peek at it every now and then and poke our head inside, it is one of the few cars that you can actually step into.

Our local library has 2 paintings from the car, which will be displayed for a short period before heading over the James River Bridge to be reunited with their car. The car was in Richmond for a period of time after its 1949 arrival and was at Ft Eustis Transportation Museum for a bit, but was deteriorating from being stored outside. Now it has a nice space inside.

Does your State still have its Merci car?

George Kirby Jr Paint Company

 18 Jan 26:

Here is the Swiss Coffee color that George Kirby IV whipped up for the interior of the Bahamas dinghy. It looks delicious, but we do not plan to ingest it. We'll put a little on the boat and see what hue it dries to per GKIV's suggestion.

Bahamas Dinghy Floorboard THIXO Repair and Kirby Paint

 17 Jan 26:

We have some more Kirby Paint on the way for the interior, a creamy limewash color, maybe we'll call it Skipper's Bahamas Limewash to go along with the Skipper's Bahamas Blue. Here's a look back at how we filled some voids in the vintage plywood floorboards with TotalBoat THIXO FLEX and THIXO Pro, thickened epoxy that will also help hold screws in place and protect screw holes from moisture intrusion.

Take a 16 minute break and enjoy some TotalBoat and Kirby love being applied to HENNING. And keep an eye out for the squirrels.

We ended the video so that we could gather some clamps, to help hold the wooden cleats in place while the epoxy and paint dried. Those floorboards are fastened together very securely now.

One tip for removable floorboards, is to secure them somehow before trailing down the road at 60 mph. While these boards do have a little latch hook under the leading edge, it could work loose from vibration, so we just transported the floorboards in our tow vehicle.

New US Coast Guard PFD Regulations 2025

The new US Coast Guard PFD regulations (effective 2025) shift approval to harmonized <international standards, introducing "Level" classifications (Level 50, 70, 100) for buoyancy, emphasizing wearable PFDs for children under 13, and requiring specific PFDs for activities like PWCs; the main change for users is clearer labeling with these levels, allowing for more comfortable, activity-specific PFDs, while existing, serviceable gear remains legal. Key points include Level 50/70 for general use (must be worn), Level 100 for offshore/commercial, and all PFDs needing to be Coast Guard-approved, properly sized, and in good condition.

Key Changes & What They Mean for Boaters:

• New Level System (Buoyancy in Newtons): Replaces older "Type" codes.
  • Level 50 (50N): For competent swimmers in calm, sheltered waters; must be worn.
  • Level 70 (70N): General purpose, nearshore; more buoyancy than Level 50.
  • Level 100 (100N): Offshore/coastal use, enhanced support, airway protection.
• Harmonization: Standards align with Canada's, allowing manufacturers to meet both with one design.
• No More "Types": New approvals won't use old Type codes (like Type I-V), but older, serviceable PFDs still count. 

Requirements Remain:

• For All Vessels: One properly fitting, USCG-approved PFD for each person.
• Children Under 13: Must wear a PFD while underway on a moving vessel (unless below decks/in cabin); state laws may add stricter rules.
• Vessels 16ft+ (Except Canoes/Kayaks): One throwable device (Type IV/V) required.
• Special Activities: PFDs marked for PWC/watersports must be used for those activities. 

What You Need to Do:

1. Check Labels: Look for the new Level (50, 70, 100) and weight/size info. 
2. Wear the Right PFD: Wear smaller/lower-level PFDs (like Level 50) if you're a good swimmer; use higher levels (100+) for rougher conditions or if you're not a strong swimmer.
3. Ensure Fit & Condition: Always have the right size and a PFD in good, serviceable condition. Older PFDs are fine to use, as long as they are serviceable and the label can be read. 

BLUFF RATTY Design 1 - SCUPPERS

15 Jan 21: 

We were busy 5 years ago wrapping up repairs on 2 Sunfish that were damaged by Hurricane Sally, and we began the build on Bluff Ratty design that we called SCUPPERS. The idea was to build an 8 foot boat that families could used to get on the water at a low coat and low effort. SCUPPERS turned out to be a fun little boat.

 BLUFF RATTY 16 Jan 21 Bow Angle, Garboard, Chine and Frames

 16 Jan 21:

We plan to incorporate design elements from BARBASHELA into BLUFF RATTY, one of the first is to put a small rake on the bow and reverse on the stern, so we found the angle using our BARBASHELA bow porch table and our pocket bevel.  

After we cut the rocker on the garboards with a DeWALT 20V jigsaw, we clamped them together and sanded with 60 grit on a DeWALT random orbital sander to get the edges matched up. We'd like to have good fits where we can and plan to use thickened adhesives like THIXO or PL Premium to fill in any spots we miss, which will be a lot. (Note: All cuts could be made with a handsaw or jigsaw, and sanding could be done with sandpaper.)

2 side planks.

We used TotalBoat THIXO thickened adhesive to attach the chine strip to the side plank. 

If you have a lot of clamps, use 'em. Light pressure only, just enough to hold the chine in place, too much pressure can squeeze all of the adhesive out of the joint. We wiped off most of the excess that squeezed out to avoid later sanding, and used a gloved finger to make a little curve over the plank/chine joint, like you do with tub caulk, this ensures the joint is epoxied and will help shed water off of the joint.

No clamps for the other side? We predrilled pilot holes through the plank into the chine for #6 x 3/4" screws,  then fastened the plank with THIXO and the screws. Silicone bronze screws (Jamestown Distributors) are optimum, other options are marine grade stainless, stainless or exterior deck screws. Each step down in quality will shave years off of the boat's life. 

2 chine strips attached to 2 lower side planks (garboards).

Next we started fiddling with frames, the "elbows that will hold the planks to the bottom. You could make the side angle straight, but we wanted a little flare to the sides, like BARBASHELA has. And the frames could be rectangles, but we wanted the curved feet and used a salvaged bit from BARBASHELA to get the curve. The bottom of our boat will not be flat side to side either, we want some V, so that will be incorporated into the frame angle and truss that runs side to side to connect the frames. We're putting 1/8th" of V across 15 inches of the truss, you can see the truss poking its head into the photo top right. The V bottom will help the boat track straight.

Prototype frame laying on its side, with notch for chine strip cut out. Thoughts here are to not make this notch a tight fit along the chine, to allow water to drain to a low spot in the bilge. Those drains are referred to as limber holes.

Jamestown Distributors

TotalBoat

Log of BLUFF RATTY.

EZ Dock Floating Modular Docks and EZ Port

 14 Jan 26:

We've come across EZ DOCK floating docks in several Tidewater locations and they are holding up pretty well. They are low maintenance and configurable with many options.

This dock has the EZ Port Max, which are designed for PWCs but also make good spots to lauch a canoe or kayak. 

An ADA bench has been added.

Tuesday Tool of the Week - Tire Jack

 13 Jan 26:

It's a good time of year to check the car tire and jack to make sure they are where they are supposed to be. We bought this 2020 car used and it took me a while before I checked, and while everything was there, the spare was at 20 psi. Everything is in the right spot now, and when I put the spare back into its cubby, I put the valve stem in a location where I could reach it easily, to check tire pressure periodically. 

We carry a Quick Change Jack to use with our trailers, and we have also carried a floor jack when we are bringing a heavier trailer/boat long distance. 

Drive Smart!