Blocking Location

T

Tug

New member
Today i spent four hours blocking my boat for bottom painting.Lots of work for an old man to do alone, crawling under the boat a million times to position anything just right. I had to cut the 10 foot 8"x8" into two foot sections.Two friends came by and asked me what i was doing but didn't offer to help. I wasn't sure how far forward towards the bow would be the best place to lay the cribbing.Too far towards the bow leaves the midships unsupported and seeing that there is less weight at the bow i decided to place the cribbing directly under the helm station. Is this a good place for support or should i move it closer to the bow.

Do you think that erecting a clear plastic enclosure around the boat would help in raising the temperature inside the encloser for painting.
Thanks Tug
 
As far as where to place your cribbing, I seem to remember reading in the C-Dory literature or a C-Dory review years ago that: The hull is so strong that if the tide goes out and it rests upon a single large rock there will be no resulting damage. Anyone else remember that?
 
Tug,
Read the MSDS for what ever bottom paint you are going to apply .
Some products will give off vapors that are not good for you to breath in and some will give off potentially explosive vapors into the enclosed area.
How are you going to heat it ?
Be careful of adding a potential source of ignition into the enclosed area.

Regards, Doug Cruickshank :beer :beer
 
Somewhere I remember seeing that placing the supports under the helm bulkhead was the best, for balance and support. I think I saw that somewhere in a thread but right now, I could not find that.

It's a pretty tuff bottom, but I would not want to count an landing it on one big rock. Think that might be a pain :oops: .

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Thanks for the replies, but i was looking for a more definitive answer.I am WORRIED that the support cribbing is in the wrong place and the boat may topple.

I was hoping that someone would either say....the boat is good the way it is supported now or suggest that i move the cribbing forward towards the bow.

Thanks Tug

PS Must be getting OLD, every bone in my body aches and i could hardly get out of bed this morning.
 
For a boat like the C Dory 22, I usually put cribbing at the transom on each side. Then the second set about 1/3 of the way aft--under the bulkhead is close to this-in the 22, the bottom is solid glass somewhere near this point (but it will easily support cribbing further aft. As long as the boat seems stable, it should be fine.

Generally when boats are "tented" around here below the waterline, they are not being worked on, but have dehumidifier or heaters in place. I probably would not work on the boat with full tenting. I would wear a Tyvek suit,with hood, nitrile gloves and a Cartridge type respirator when painting under the boat.
 
Your blocking looks good. I bottom painted my 22ft 1988 vintage a few weeks ago. I used two 26" stands at the stern, 1 stand near bow just aft of keel protective metal strip, and blocking under keel about 30" aft of that bow stand. Boat was about 30" off the ground and I left trailer under it for safety. Tight quarters for the scrape, sand and paint work but worked out ok. I used about three quarts of West Marine bottom paint for the two coats I applied. This paint can be appplied at 40 degrees or warmer, dries very quickly.
 
We've blocked a number of 22's for bottom paint, or for display at boat shows.

The blocking point is not critical. We try to be around the area of the V-Berth bulkhead, but have been ahead of it and behind it with no issues.

We often drape clear poly around the boat, attached to higher up the hull to tent the area to control the dust from sanding the old bottom paint. It does raise the temperature, like a green house, and keep rain out of the area.

If painting under there, a box fam at one end with an opening at the other will help with vapors.
 
I just finished moving the blocking about 20 "closer to the bow ( position would be between the center window and the Bonar Hatch opening.) I also placed my stand just aft of the brass keel strip to move my blocking, works great.I also padded with carpet the two steel saw horses that i am using for lateral support. I was worried that my blocking was a bit too far back, i will sleep better tonite. The motor boat stands are terrific for moving/adjusting the position of the blocking, the stands will really pay for themselves when it comes time to bottom paint. When i am finish cleaning the hull and sanding and cleaning again i plan on erecting an plastic enclosure around my boat to raise the inside temperature to epoxy and paint.Using a fan to clear the vapours is a smart idea, will do that.

This is probably a DUMB question...when you put on your 3M adhesive tape to mark your bottom paint line, how do you sand so close to the tape with destroying the tape. Thanks Tug
 
I have heard of some guys using two layers of tape, so that sanding may damage the top layer, but not the one underneath.

I think it's more trial and error, and the 3M blue tape seems very robust and forgiving.
 
I will use a cheap,poor holding adhesive tape over the good tape to take any hits.I was planning on sanding by hand near the tape line but i have a small orbital sander that i will use for the main sanding job. Photo's to follow.Tug
 
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