With the application of her fifth coats of Interlux Perfection two-part polyurethane in Mauritius blue, Minnow is now sporting her new True 5200 bottom, save for the final coat of bilge paint that will be applied once the paint has cured and she is flipped right-side up again.
We are using this super hard epoxy paint in place of the antifouling or hard racing copper bronze alternative because Minnow will be dry sailed, and therefore not subject to bottom contamination from lake scum or critters that might otherwise adhere to it.
Having reached this major milestone, we have also reached a crossroads. If her topsides and transom are to be bleached, stained and varnished by Snake Mountain Boatworks, decision time is upon us. Once we flip her over, we simply cannot take the risk that anything, and especially wood bleach can migrate beneath tape and into the bottom paint.
We have given up on blue painter’s tape, or its much-hyped Frog Tape cousin. Duct tape leaves an awful residue. Our go-to solution for now is professional gaffer’s tape purchased from Amazon.com. It adheres tenaciously, yet leaves absolutely no reside behind when it is released.
Minnow will now sit until early next week so that her paint can cure completely.
With her Lycoming engine rebuild and a 4-hour run-in bench testing complete, Robert Henkel, Chris-Craft Parts, will be shipping it back to us at the end of next week.
Minnow will be ready to splash, probably before the hard water melts and our next boat season rushes in.
Vintage Boat Preservation
