EBB's PHOTO GALLERY THREAD

[ebb]

GulfCoastPaint MCU--100 PRIMER/FINISH is its other name. It's been discovered by many
skippers, primarily because it is available in quart cans from epoxyproducts.com. Some of
mine here, it is an extraordinary coating, very different from any other we use around the
boat, requiring imco an application learning curve (see post 424 for some surprises.)
It is an industrial paint so maybe we can expect excellent longevity and weatherability.

Aluthane coating is both finish and primer -- perhaps the manufacturer is not entirely sure
what this coating can do. You can print out a two page 'brochure' from their site, 1/2 of
which are photos of gigantic industrial plants. But it's already obvious that this coating is
a marvel, a big deal, and yet to find its full potential. I picked up a readable inhouse safety
data sheet off pauloman's epoxyproducts site (but don't know how.) It is here we find the
three (there may be more, Stirling seems to have one like this) commercial names for this
aluminum paint revealed: Gulfthane, MCU-100 Primer/Finish, and ALUTHANE.
It's gotten around in other circles...

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
"A one component, Moisture Curved Polyurethane Aluminum Coating. Has excellent
adhesion to sound, tightly adherent rusty steel, and other marginally prepared surfaces.
This low viscosity, high 'wetting' coating undergoes a rapid molecular weight change as it
polymerizes into a high molecular weight finish which provides excellent corrosion and
abrasion resistance. Its resistance to creeping, undercutting, and blistering is superior to
epoxy primers. MCU-100 is also a barrier primer or tie coat to prevent lifting of strong
solvent top coats over conventional coatings, and most chemical coatings.

PRODUCT FEATURES
1. Primer for all types of surfaces.
2. Excellent 'wetting out' properties over sound, rusty steel.
3. Fast recoating, 1-2hrs.
4. Cures down to 18F on dry surfaces.
5. Excellent corrosion resistance, passed 1,200 hours in salt cabinet.
6. One package. Easy to use
7. Outstanding abrasion resistance
8. May be topcoated with most generic type coatings
9. Very good weather resistance.
10. High heat, up to 400F dry.
11. Excellent as a barrier coat over lead based coatings."

SINCE WHEN ARE URETHANES CONSIDERED PRIMERS ?
This should open up possibilities for any doubter. As a 'primer', still not sure about how
one goes about adding a series of 'generic' coats to polyurethane... which I always
assumed was the final sweat achievement . Peculiarly, this kind of utilitarian MCU rolls
on very very thin like LPU, but isn't bling. NO mention of above/below waterlines.
Abrasion resistance may suggest rubbing down with nylon/grit pad. *
TECH DATA for thinner is an inhouse 'SA-50'. MSDS reveals xylene is a major ingredient.
Certainly didn't need thinner when doing the mast. Most sustained use I've had with it.

Now, prime use for this urethane has been for dressing corroded steel pilings in water.
Do we assume salt water? Which as we know can entirely erase steel from the planet.
In coating our boats we are always aware what primers are OK below the waterline.
There is no caution that this primer cannot be used underwater. No words to that
effect. Many a neglected aluminum skiff has been born again with a single coat of
Aluthane. (Later EDIT: Just talked with manufacture's rep at GulfCoastPaintMfg, the
makers of MCU-100 (Aluthane). He didn't know why we cannot use urethane paint
underwater. He did say that any urethane, including LPU, can be topcoated with any
other paint system. Therefor you can say, it's a 'primer'. However, he would not advise
using Aluthane as a primer on the bottom of a boat, even if topcoated with a twopart
epoxy OR a hard bottom paint... but didn't know WHY? Don't like this kind of mystery.)

If you like a galvanize look, this coating will look exactly as you rolled it on 10 years
later. Don't know that totally for fact: took a couple rusty hardware store thin sheet
metal horses, the kind that start rusting out the door... had some Aluthane left over,
hurriedly rolled it over dirt, dust, rust, bird droppings and spider webs. Transformation
is still a minor miracle: bird droppings still encapsulated, and today, years later, they
look just painted. Amazing to me is that an aluminum filled paint is used directly over
and within the rough rust on steel -- and yet doesn't create a battery... these two are
in no way close friends around the galvanic table.

Assumed that polyurethanes are always two part. Here we see one-pot referred to
as 'poly'. On a molecular level urethanes are films made of polymers fused together at
highly reactive poly-isocyanate sites, forming strong bonds known as chains.
Moisture causes the reaction that creates amines which combine with isocyanates that
cure into urea that bonds chains together The process releases CO2. Isocyanates are
hazardous organic compounds of 'functional' (reactive) groups of molecules that inter-
react with other groups to form a specific chemical --a simultaneous phenomenon
called 'hydrogen bonding' occurs between the chains of molecules that further increases
film strength -- as we see in the list of attributes above. Pretty amazing stuff, but this
says this one-part aluminum filled primer CURES rather than dries like regular 1-part.
Who's going to try it as a tiecoat primer. "metalfilled paint PRIMER? You're kidding."

Begs the question: why can't polyurethanes be used underwater? "They cannot."
{google ignores answering that one!!!} Why not amazing Aluthane? Assume, with
continuous immersion in salt water, coating dissolves. What's with this chemistry?)
There are many thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers, plastic rubber, goops, caulks,
sealants, adhesives, tank linings and dips - some filled with glass spheres or fiberglass
- that can be used underwater. These are the only p.urethanes that can be designed
for total immersion use. None of these rubbers are hard coatings.


Seems, ebb has learned one thing... Alutane is devitalized with a certain chemical
paint stripper. The thin tough multicoat didn't die without a fight, came off with putty
knives and carbide scrappers in obstinate strips. We'll use it again -- with a new green
pre-prep called PreKote* which replaces the toxic heavy metal acid & alkaline
conversion washes -- And this time it'll be the FINISH coat!! Love that galvanize look!

*from AircraftSpruce. PreKote SP is a trademark of Pantheon, an aerospace tech.
It provides this interesting solution that produces "a polar/non-polar molecule that
attaches itself to permanently embedded contamination and attracts the {next} coating.
In contrast, traditional conversion coatings containing heavy metals such as chrome or
zinc have no mechanism by which to attach themselves to permanently embedded
contamination, resulting in coating failures such as blisters and outgassing (pinholes)."

Again, using aluminum filled LabMetal on the mast, and hope that this PreKote
treatment will give due consideration to my contribution of filler & fairing bonded
'contamination' on the aluminum metal mast, and myriad 50 year old embedded oxide
defects. PreKote SP is not a toxic conversion coating, and does not permanently
change the metal surface... it is an integral part of a coating system. It must be
overcoated. And I hope it strongly embraces my coating choice, Aluthane! As far as
exposure to solvents, carcinogenetic toxics and contaminated water runoff goes, this
pre-treatment is a huge responsible step toward greener painting of aluminum ( and
a number of other metals and surfaces). Been around for two decades... wish I'd
read up on it before I chose to use the insane chromated stuff!! Tested by DOD
and the USAirForce, given their blessing. No idea what film chemistry PreKote uses.

Read every word I can find on what Pantheon Enterprises says about their PreKote.
Can't find a single word for its use under water, or total immersion. They do not say,
Do not use Prekote underwater. Don't use it when painting your submarine.
(Interlux has a very different hibuild, above-waterline, sanding primer called Pre-Kote.
It does not carry a registered trademark)... imco. www.pantheonchemical.com

EXACTLY WHICH SCOTCHBRITE PAD?
The whole reason for using a pre-prep on aluminum is to remove all traces of oxide
and other contaminates. PreKote as an alternative to acid/alkaline heavy metal wash
is a godsend, if it works (haven't used it yet). It has a very specific method for
application that involves scrubbing the aluminum surface with a specific nylon pad.
Instructions given for using PreKote on your aeroplane are in military specs. But
there's a footnote stating MAROON 3M scotchbrite aluminum grit nylon pads
may be used. BUT cautions to use no other brand. Instructions are so specific:
ONLY the maroon 7447 scotchbrite pad may be used, NO other pad color either!!
Other pads may leave behind oil, soap, rubber or the wrong grit in your substrate.

A little pop to retain... for all other surface preps... for any coating. MAROON !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

"I woke up after a night's sleep to the tune of a robin on the windowsill. I realized it
was Spring. It was time for Marlow to take a long easy weekend some place... some
place where surf meets sand." Raymond Chandler, The Last Laugh, OldTimeRadio

[frank durant]

Speaking of updates..

Ebb buddy....

Update and pictures please

OK....pretty please

[ebb]

Frank, I've been lucky to get Louie to give me a hand painting the deck. Primer is on, nearly
completed, ready for Epifanes MonoUrethane. Then, to Louie's disgust, the deck will be
taped and KiwiGrip applied. We'll do a competent job, but not concourse. No time left,
have other unintended issues changing my course. So if I sneak thru, I'll be in great shape
to take the tent down and rig the mast with Hayn. Easy to say, but It's happening.

Wish I knew how to take pics with the iPhone and post them here.

Beginning to throw away, get rid of, a bunch of the stuff that's stuck to me over the
decades. Good sign. Have to be in a retirement mode to make it happen. Would like to do
it without depending on a storage locker. Tons of books, that's the hardest. But you see,
I have to trick the old curmudgeon to accept the fate of freedom.

Pix coming, promise.
! ! !

[frank durant]

You will find purging SO FREEING!!

Hard at 1st....but it gets easier as things dissapear.

So glad you're in that "mode"

Remember my promise....

[ebb]

Frank, Can't wait. Things are already disappearing:
In fact my box of counterbores has disappeared.

{......days pass...who stole my counterbores....
!@#$%!
what the hell did I do with them??}
(well, they didn't walk off because they got bored,
no, they found a fancy new apartment in one of
those yellow plastic see-through-top, movable
dividers, small parts tray/boxes... all along in plain
sight!)

Hope ebb don't forget to Purge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"... my purpose holds
to sail beyond the sunset
and the baths of all the western stars
until I die." Ulysses Tennyson


To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought

[Tony G]

Ebb,
dump it, man! As model citizens we have WAY too much stuff in general, and, the challenge of doing things with less is kind of rewarding (except when you botch a job and know you could have done it better with the "right" tool) when it works out good enough to get the job done. As a side note, I just worked on a boat yesterday that was packed with so much stuff that the owner didn't even know what was where. It felt like I was at a crime scene! Glad we won't have that problem on our little boats. "Less $#!%, more substance" is my new mantra-let's see if it takes hold...

[ebb]

One of George Carlin's famous comedy shticks, great performance poetry.
{It just naturally fell into quatrains when I texted from his performance}
There is this partial near the beginning:

"....... That's all you need in life, a little place for your stuff.
That's all your house is, a place to keep your stuff.
If you didn't have so much stuff, you wouldn't need a house.
You could just walk around all the time.

A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.
You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane.
You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff.
All the little piles of stuff.

And when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up.
Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff.
They always take the good stuff.
They never bother with the crap you're saving.

All they want is the shiny stuff.
That's what your house is, a place to keep your stuff
while you go out and get... more stuff!
Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house.

Why? No room for your stuff anymore." ......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Gotta get a bigger boat !"

Wish I was CommanderPete, I'd post a photo here of a sail-around-all-the-
time cruiser with a huge jungle jim of shiny cruising stuff hanging all over
it, chrome pipe, dodger, bimini and bikini kinds of stuff...
Stuff you gotta have for modern voyaging.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, littlegull's cabin top and deck gets her first coat of Epifanes MU 3125.
The namby gray of KiwiGrip$$$, will be rolleed in islands on top of that.
Picked the monourethane from a cloud of color chips, thinking it had a touch
of gray, but it's called Alpine White. Deck, cabin, cockpit and probably the
sunbrella will be shades of white and gray. No plan really. Staying away
from beige and blue. Down below, light blues, the lightest red (not pastel
faded with white which becomes pink) if it can mixed. Perhaps Epi MU
cream on the cabinets with saten frosted mahogany, but that's a way off,
I'll be almost home on the boat by then!!

Experiment with Interlux Flattening Agent for One-Part Finishes. One part
urethanes, enamels, varnish, It's added to the final coat. 1to1 produces a
satin-gloss, with high as 3parts to 1part paint producing matte. Epifanes
doesn't do color satins. We have to mix huge quantities of this agent into
the paint. Doesn't seem kopacetic. Into an already fully realized product!
Tip came inhouse, likely Epifanes, through my vendor: SMSDistributorsInc.

Just that much closer to sailing around all the time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


LATER EDIT 3 unpardonable quotes for 2017:

For if there is a sin against life,
it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life
as in hoping for another life
and eluding the implacable grandeur of this life. Albert Camus

I shall tell you a great secret, my friend,
Do not wait for the last judgement, it takes place every day. Albert Camus

The most unpardonable sin in society is independence of thought.
Emma Goldman

For the young person, it is almost a sin, or at least a danger,
to be too preoccupied with himself
-- but for the ageing person,
it is a duty and necessity to devote serious attention to himself. Carl Jung



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HERE'S TO TIME FLYING

3/22/17, Joanne (Miss Kids) Kyger dies. Poet emerged 60 years ago from
the 'male dominated Beat Generation'. But not beat -- a force since, in so
many lives. Surrounding herself with poets, painters, cats and intellectuals
-- an informal zenBuddhista, she may have made nirvana, an old skeptic
won't know. In terms of life after death it means, if you don't make it you
aren't lost, you can always come back again to the human univers for
another shot. Her life now locks into her writings. Hugh loss for us.
She's on her way and won't be back.

email: "Thu 12/22/2016. Best wishes for the Holidays. Hello Ebbe, Here
below is {an imasge of} the Himalayan Deodar you gave me for my front
garden over 40 years ago.
Here's to time flying.
And sending you good wishes.
for the coming year.
[5-7-5] Just don't read the news. xxx Joanne. JOANNE AND DONALD"

Indeed... Here's to time flying... to Joanne, to Donald, to her little
home on the Bolinas Mesa... the big ole cedar in the front garden...


my tears are clouds of words I'm unable to say
.
.
.

[frank durant]

Ebb buddy....

How are you?
Plans?
Updates?
PICTURES!!!

Hope all is well

[ebb]

Too many left turns.
Have slowed some, things happening to the meat machine.
Still wake up kicking the passion can into every morning.

Putting the mast together. Sort of figured out how to do a
red-over-green Colregs, which has a meter spread challenge,
up top there. Rather than putting all 40" on top like pbryant,
red might be 20 inches above the masthead, green 40"
below on the mast -- well, how to get all round green?
Looked into strip ribbon leds, do-able. But simpler to try
mounting two Hella "360 all round navigation lamps" on
either side of mast. They stick out a bit much, but from
2NM will it make any difference?? Red will be a single,
and mounted above the tri-color.

Yeah, know will probably have to reef mainsl. But in this
mad world: sailing at night with masthead AND deck lights
all lit up, reefing seems mandatory, so...
And how to rig the cable, ehh? Found some fabulous 'strain
relief' that actually grabs and hangs the cable inside mast,
on a hook, thru-bolt, never wired damn mast before.

So, to get ready for the mythical sparky, naturally I take out
the galley counter because the BlueSeas are going in under
the bridge. Decided the electrical box, that shares part of the
counter plywood under the bridge, should be separate from
the exposed part, which we will keep removable by using
normal butyl tape and woodscrews-- in case those buried
cubby holes under the counter ever want to be accessed.

You know, it's on and on like that. Literally discovered, when
hiring help that Ebb's weirdly eccentric when it comes to boat.
Knew I was difficult, not nuts. Like many olives think I yam.

Have a friend who's just retired, she's taking more time.
My problem solving brain is taking more time as well. The
intuitive part is beginning to ask should aye trust it?? But it
is the 'problem solving' that brings in every new day.
Eccentricity's other hand is inability.

OK, gotta get the electric panel box glued up... Get ready
for the experts. Got Hayn rigging, got to get started on that,
and I still have to glue the rudder together!!!!!
Then tent down, mast up, measure for sails... no more maybe..

and I know you are enjoying life and sailing.... and sailing


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the last octet of a four stanza poem inspired by derelicts
ebbing away on tidal flats. (from The British Merchant Navy.)
Also SailNet thread Ode To a Sailor 11/25/2013 post 10 (& #1)

THE BOAT THAT NEVER SAILED by Alban Wall
…

Somewhere there are men with snow-white hair
Who sit in life's twilight years,
And often their thoughts drift wistfully back,
And often their eyes fill with tears
As they think of the dreams that have gone astray
And the plans that have somehow failed --
God, heal the hearts of the men who have built
The boats that have never sailed.


Want draughts of strong ale to drown these rhymes of
heartbreak - rendered by an old irish tune of time forever lost
- or dirge of a lone bagpipe on the lonely cliff-shore at sunset.

'O Danny-boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling.
...The summer's gone. and all the roses falling.'

{Can't find anything on Alban Wall. Very well could be
the nom de plume of an english academic or llawyer.
Alban is a corny anagram.}

[Bill]

Ebb sent a couple of photos of Little Gull.

Hey Bill, Glad we're hanging in there. Watch it. As you know, once I get yacking, like mushrooms.

Harbor Center San Rafael became untenable, including robberies. Time seemed right, my helper never came back. Talked with Triton boys, Steve Gossman suggested Spaulding Boat works. So there I am after being towed there by Ian... and a boatload of other Sunday breakfast of champions. Then the overblown virus thing. Masy got yanked for a couple projects, including installation of Tides Marine STRONG TRACK (hard as a rock black polyethylene. Sailmaker insists. How to mount on our teardrop mast shape. Strong Track needs some flatness under the Schaefer track that ours doesn't have. So we're adding a strip of 1/16"x 1 1/4" aluminum under the Schaefer to get rigidity.. we hope. Sailmaker absolutely insists on the free-slide option. I insist on a bowsprit. Now have a TROGEAR carbon fiber 'V',which sailmaker wants me to fly a Code 0. Lost argument for two regular reefer-furlers. But will have one. It requires a bail up top to take the swivel. Which I had removed, because I wasn't going to set a spinnaker, ever. So mast down also for that AND added track for the stormsail. OK. Ebb's additions brings boat weight up to 6.000 lbs. Let that be a lesson to ya, mates. Raise the waterline!

[Bill]

Here's Ebb's copy of Alberg's new rudder shown in the A-C yacht's plan. For some reason, I can't get the photo to rotate. It's correct in my file, but it rotates when inserted into the post. Ebb writes:

Rudder has a 1/8" G-10 'core'. It's the rudder shape andallows trailing edge to finish in something really tough. Two layers of veed meranti plywood, creating the essential shape. The blade is 2 inches at the post trailing to 1/4". NACA airfoils at 5 'stations' provide the dynamic curve along rudder length, which were actually very mild, as I used only the trailing half of the wing shape. Used thickened epoxy - and finished offwith Wet/Dry 700 Epoxy Paste (underwater epoxy) which smoothed well and provided a light color finish. Rudder lives underwater, underwater epoxy to finish. Splashed before the gudgeon was installed, and sitting in the mud at Spaulding the rudder has lifted out of the shoe and won't drop back in.

Friends, Stay well, See you out there.

[frank durant]

Ebb
I’m excited!
It floats!!
Hurrah!!
Congrats!
More pics
More info
Yippee!!
👍👍👍🤣

[Bill]

Please note: Text has been added to post's 435 and 436 (photos above)

Moderator

[Tim D.]

Good to hear from you Ebb, glad to see you are as feisty as ever. And I would like to see more pics too. Make a deal with you, post a few more pics and I will pull the tarp off of Mariah and post a pic to prove I still have #331.
Busy with another boat project at the moment.

[mbd]

So really great to see these pictures of Little Gull finally in her element. Looking at Capt Ebb's profile, I see it's been a couple of years since he's checked in. And I also see his time here spans over 18 YEARS! I'm certain during that time, he has inspired and guided many more sailors than just me.

The years spent with my Ariel have been logged in precious memories with my family and friends. Capt Ebb's time bookends mine by years. I don't think I've ever witnessed such super human tenacity before. But perhaps it was made easier - because if ever anyone had found their "soulmate" in a boat, surely it is Ebb and Little Gull. And she's meticulous and beautiful Ebb!

Fair winds and calm seas Capt Ebb. Steady on. Looking forward to those sailing yarns soon!

PS. And THANK YOU Bill for facilitating such an epic story...