Deck screw pops, Cap rail rot.

[Greg & Angie Wheeler]

[Greg & Angie Wheeler]

Thanks for being there Bob, please don't give up the ship, so to speak with the website, It would be a great loss to not have this website available.

For the last year or two I hadn't had many entries, I had an old email attached to this account that I don't monitor anymore and I couldn't get the email address to change, it kept rejecting saying "Not Secure" I tried it again last week and it finally allowed me to change the email, so I will be more apt to contribute now, and since I'm in the midst of another round of painting, which never involves just painting. I always discover new areas of dry rot that need addressed, and who knows what else will need attention. 

I am finally doing a more proper job of the decks and cabin house. I'm going to apply "Kiwi Grip" non skid deck coating. I bought 2 of the 4 liter kits in a cream color and may have to get another, I'm hoping 2 gallons is enough, but it does go on rather thick. You trowel it on like tile mortar and then use a special roller to achieve the desired surface, you can have it fairly smooth or an aggressive work boat texture. I want it fairly smooth, it's too hard to keep clean decks when the surface is rougher. 

I'm currently as the photos show, repairing all the nail pops on the decks, and there are many, I started off using a drill to open them up but switched to my sonic crafter tool and that works faster, and gives me a better result, I just dig around the nail head (or what's left) and get rid of all the soft wood around it. After opening the screw/nail? holes up I use 2 part penetrating epoxy with fungicide (Git rot) and saturate each hole and fill it with the epoxy, after 2 -3 fillings they are solid again in those areas. My next step is to fill all the deck holes with Formula 27 2 part filler then sand everything smooth. 

Before I can apply the non skid I will apply a fresh coat of paint to the bulwarks and the cabin house, and the lines that I will have between the non skid areas. I have to have all those areas ready to go before I apply the deck coating. 

[Greg & Angie Wheeler]

[bob mitchell]

What a great post!! WE NEED MORE OF THOSE FROM MORE PEOPLE !!!!!
And once again it is pointed out that wherever there is plywood endgrain you can expect problems if it’s protection is not maintained, especially if it is vertical grain! I consider the bulwark rail cap, under windows, and the hawse holes just about the most vulnerable areas on a Newporter. Water entering those areas can travel so far, and has no way out,
Doing extensive damage.

[Greg & Angie Wheeler]

Notice the holes in the side below the rotted cap rail area, the plywood bulwarks in that area (the port bow) I have drilled like swiss cheese, that area was soft under the fiberglass. I used "Git-Rot" 2 part penetrating epoxy with fungicide. If you have never used this product, it is worth checking out, you just drill holes on any soft areas and go out a little further than is soft and put the epoxy in the holes until it leaks out and do that until it won't take any more. I've literally used gallons. I had to use this around all the fixed glass ports. They were all soft around those 4 ports, the 4 large opening ports on the sides and the 2 front round ports were all very solid. 

I was surprised to find the later production boats have aluminum ports, mine (1957 hull 40) are original, and are all Wilcox Crittenden bronze ports, my son has a 1959 Newporter 40, "Leprechaun" and his are all aluminum and not holding up as well. An improvements they made on the later models is the entry threshold is raised substantially compared to our 1957, that would help if you are pooped.

I helped bring "Leprechaun" up to her new port and was really impressed with the feel of the boats. It was the first time I'd spent time in the cockpit of a Newporter at sea, they have a nice heft to them and a great sea motion.

Our boat has been a dock queen since she was purchased 7-8 years ago, we have made many improvements since we became her patron but the drive to get our boat "Grace" sailable, diminished greatly when my son acquired a Newporter in ready to go condition. We have airbnb rentals and when everything is rented we stay on the boat, it has been an inexpensive condo that is just a few miles from the house. If I live long enough Grace will sail again, we have done lots of engine work and we have aluminum masts purchased and hope to have those rigged soon, just keeping her looking cared for has been a commitment, about every 3 years, we have had to paint every surface, glad we have painted brightwork or it would be every 6 months.  

For anyone thinking of purchasing a Newporter buy one as far along as you can find, I would have saved a great deal to find one further along and that had seen more care during her life, but.... it's also satisfying to have saved one from demolition. 

We are all just patrons, adding hopefully another decade to the life of a very special group of boats.  

[Greg & Angie Wheeler]

Time to repair the decks, brightwork, another coat of Interlux Brightside one part poly on the cabin sides, bulwarks. I've always used the Pettit Easypoxy "Brightside Brown" but they don't make it anymore, so on our cap rails, taffrail, etc we are going to use the Pettit "Burgundy" the Newporter 40 "Driftwood was here in Morro bay for a time and that is the color she had on her brightwork and it looked like a dark mahogany, I'll post photos as I go. 

I am opening up all the deck nail pops and the other photos show the cap rail rot repair.