caulking planks

Bad old joke.... First time I heard that was from a swabbie when we were in USN Firefighting School on Treasure Island who remarked that I was too short for the CG.
I told him he was too stupid for the Navy and we left it at that.
I did Ocean Station Victor winter weather patrols around the International Date Line in the North Pacific and we could not 'walk ashore' (though there were surely times when I wished I could!).

 

Im only 6' 6'' in my spike heel docksiders

 

Somebody musta been a Squid ay one time. Ill have you know my first duty after boot camp was a 310 ft Icebreaker and did a north trip and south trip {Arctic and Antarctic} and aquired all 4 Crossings Circle international Dateline,Arctic and Antarctic Circle and Equator all in a 11 month Period. Next time your anke deep and its rising fast try calling the Navy. Semper Paratus!!!!!!

 

I only did the date line on the cutter I was on.
But, yeah, when it's 2 am and your fine yacht is filling with water and the wind is rising, the surf is breaking outside the porthole, do you really want to count on the Navy to save yer ***?
At Fort Point we averaged 3 SAR cases per 24 hour period for the 2 1/2 years I was there, so i got to know very well the north and south bars including the Potato Patch, Seal Rocks, and all the other surf-y places where stupid people take their boats, break them, and then call for help.
Never saw the Navy there.

 

I was Stationed just south of you At Station Monterey. It was good duty on a brand new station but the docks were pretty bad we didn't have as many cases as you guys mostly tow jobs for those people that didn't maintain their boats but once and a while we had a good exciting mayday. we had a 44 MLB but didn't have the bars you guys had we had to take it out on the long cases 50 miles out or when the feces was hitting the fan. The CO we had was stationed at Fort Point his name was Kohnig. Ah the old Guard Days. The Guard gave me a good Basis on marine mechanics and seamanship. I took that with me and worked in the yachting industry and did a lot of seatime on some pretty fine yachts. The toys money can buy.

 

Yah, I also thank the Guard for teaching me so much, like how to keep things clean and paint them white! Also the mechanics and seamanship have been a real strong thing to lean on in my life like you. I wound up a Repair Shipwright for a long time, but got some sea time here and there in doing deliveries and my constant passion of big schooners and square rig. Go Guard!

 

Taking your 44' MLB fifty miles to sea I do not want to think about. Ours, 44347, used to roll my guts out, always made me seasick, and I gave many fine meals to Davy Jones on the way to a call.
Sometimes there would be nothing but volleyball, pool games and TV in the station for a couple of days... then we'd be doing what we used to call 'educational' ("wow, look how that guy wrecked his boat. How did he get it through the huge surf and that far up on the rocks under the inaccessible cliff, and where is he?") CG stuff for 36 hours straight. But most of it was lots of practice towing folks who had water in the fuel on a sunny weekend or a big dragger with his net in the wheel out by the Farallones and not wanting to pay for a commercial tow so calls Mayday and we go give him a free tow. And GG Bridge jumpers, 2 or 3 a month, that was our turf.
I guess things are different than they were in 1965-69 and now the CG is more guns, law enforcement and security focused. We were unarmed on the boats at the time, though the station had 45s and Garands locked away, but it was a different world I guess. I'm glad I did it at the time I did.

 

Yea things are different now you have a breakdown and if you're not sinking , on fire, or a medical emergency they call SEATOW or some other comercial service and you pay big bucks, when I was in ingetting into the early 80s we had to carry guns onboard everytime we went out. More L.E. Law Emforcement looking for the elusive square Grouper or the white stuff. Now the Guard has a lot better toys with HOMELAND SECURITY and all. Hey of the Guard Talk for a while I have been putting cotton in now and I think Im getting it down now but after the cotton I need to paveover the seams How long does the white seam compound stay flexible and what it the trick to getting nice even concave seam limes as I want the seam line look. I am painting the topsides wth interlux Yacht enamel and dont want the thick ablative bottom paint since we dont have growth fouling problems up here I put the Smiths CEPS on and thats staying as I dont want to strip that off. Do you think the boat life or Sika flex is a proper way to go as Geraldine won't be in the water all the time and that red Seam compound seems to dryout and fall out. I will keep the humidity up when she is out of the water with a humidifier to keep the planks from dehydrating to the extent they have to help with the excessive shrinking. I should be done with the cotton by the end of the week and need to keep the progress as I got 2 1/2 monthe till I go to the boat show. FTG Joe

 

Joe, for your boat I think Sika will be fine in the bottom. For topsides, if you use oil-base seam putty, prime with thinned topside paint then knife the warmed putty in full and scrape flush, then take a piece of about 1/2" metal rod a foot long and bend a 90 degree handle on the end. This thing you drag down the seam with a little paint thinner for lube and shape the seams to a nice concave shape. This is always a pain in butt job and I never do it, but work my seams flush pretty much, then top with fairing compound and then paint for a smooth topside surface. Just lazy.

 

Yeah its a hassel but I like the look of the concaved seams on Geraldine but thats just the way I am, Thanks for the tips. Ill send some pictures to let you know how I did

 

Pictures of Boat Show of USCG Whaleboat

Bataan; Hey its been a coons age since i have written and wanted to get back with you with some photos of Geraldine my 1945 Coast Guard Whaleboat you helped me with the seams. I finished her the last week of July and got her to the Clayton NY Boat Show and the Lake George Boatshow and won awards in both. She has wowed a lot of people here and I wanted to thank you for your assistance. If you ever get out this way give me a shout. I really Appreciated your help Semper Paratus Joe

 

Hi Joe
Really looks fine and what a lovely job you've done. Must be a fine sunset cocktail cruiser on a lazy summer evening....
Semper Par brother,
Peter (Bataan)

 

Peter Yes shes a Fine Vessel Arg!!!! The folks at the boat show really loved her. Even those guys with the hot rod Viener extenders. Shes leaked a bit at the skegg keel area where she was opened up a bit but after a while and repacking the seam with dolphinite shes pretty tight Mate. I am looking for another winter project and may have a line on another old Launch. Its a 18 ft doubleended Yacht Tender. Ive gotten a few local papers writing articles about her and Next year Im doing the boat show circuits around the area. Keep in touch and Keep em Floating S.P Joe

 

Peter Here are a few more pics of the boat and one of the family. Later Joe

 

Wow! Great job and beautiful family. Look in barns and boathouses for real antique boats, pre-WW1 launches and racers. That kind of project you're ready for. Maybe a rum-runner with a Liberty V12....
P