BOAT RESCUE PART 6: INTERIOR REBUILD CONTINUES, ENGINE EXAMINED..

PREVIOUS: BOAT RESCUE PART 5: INTERIOR REBUILD STARTS.
(Please click on any picture for enlargement).

The interior woodwork has all been fitted, ready for removal, sanding, staining, and varnish varnish varnish!


Galley and Steps on Engine Cover.

You can never have too many clamps!

V-Berth.

Head.

Closet.

Water Tank & Storage Area.

The engine, a Yanmar 2GMF20, finally got some attention. Oil was removed and had no water in it, and the injectors came out easily. I pulled the pan off and there were no mystery pieces inside, in fact the engine appears very clean and still well lubricated. The valve cover came off next, and all the valves open and close when the engine turns over.



High Tide line from when the boat was flooded (fresh water).

The plan, after the injectors are back from a re-build, is to re-seal the engine, connect fuel, water, and wiring/battery, fill with oil, and start it up. If everything checks out it'll get a thorough cleaning/de-rusting and a coat of fresh paint. I'll also install new filters, belts, hoses, and water pump impeller. The exhaust elbow may also get a re-build out of 1 1/2" pipe.

Back to the interior, a stain colour was finally chosen, with much help from my dear wife, whose eye for colour puts mine to shame. The Joubert plywood I used (Marine Okoume made in France) is very light shaded. I prefer the rich hues of Mahogany, so a stain was chosen that brought out the grain of the plywood, without being too aggressive. Minwax Red Chestnut did the trick.

The next choice to make was in varnish. Minwax makes three types of "Helmsman" : gloss, semi-gloss, and satin. My preference so far is satin, but I have a semi-gloss panel drying for comparison in the morning. Either way, my method includes three coats of gloss overlaid with two or three coats of the final choice, each one wet sanded before  applying the next coat.

My choice of sandpaper.

Wetting it down.

Wetted panel.

Sanding.

The bare wood, of course, is not wetted, but each  coat of varnish is given a light scuff to remove the 'nibs' before re-coating. I use 220 grit for the first few coats then switch to 320 when the surface starts to get really smooth.

A high gloss finish tends to reflect things and detract from the appearance of the wood's grain, whereas a satin finish has a softer and warmer look. AND ..... it's a lot more work to get a perfect gloss finish, but a good looking satin job is quite easy and does not show scratches (perish the thought) like gloss does.

Gloss or Satin ....?

I know, I know ... once I get the boat sailing this will all be irrelevant and trivial, but I'm having fun with it right now!

Update:
After reaching coat #5 on the first few pieces I was not happy with the quality of finish vs. amount of effort entered. So now I'm using a 4" foam roller to apply the varnish and a soft brush to tip it off, and using a quarter-sheet sander and 220 grit paper to scuff the surface between coats. Results are much improved from before, and the whole process is moving ahead more quickly. That "mirror" finish is starting to come through!

Better results.

Next: BOAT RESCUE PART 7: GETTING IT ALL UNDER COVER.