Boat is now completely disassembled. No cracks of any size were found in either beam. New hatches on order, along with a complete set of standing rigging. Still waiting for the front beam anchor plates to show up, though it may not get warm enough for epoxy work til spring.
In the meantime I decided I did not want to look at those chalky hulls sitting in the backyard all winter.
I wet sanded both hulls with 600 grit, to remove the worst of the oxidation. The good news is, oxidation is pretty soft, & comes off without much real work. The sides are easy, it's getting into all the small places that takes time. I removed all hardware except the gudgeons, which would have greatly simplified the sterns. Total time, around 5 hours.
Next, I hinted to my wife that #1 Daughter should get me a soft start/variable speed automotive polisher for Christmas, & further convinced everyone that we should open 1 gift each..., surprise, a polisher!
I spent another 2 hours with new polisher & Bass Pro Cleaner Wax with PTEF, using lambswool pad. Cleaner waxes have an ultra fine compounding added to the wax. BP brand is 1/2 the cost of Maquires/Mothers/StarBrite product, so I gave it a try. I used 2/3 of a 16 oz bottle to do the entire Cat.
It got rid of the swirls & shined things up, (though in hindsight I should have added an extra stage using either a straight medium, or fine compounding product)using lambswool pad. I can still see some oxidation in a few spots, the hull is not completely sky blue.
Finally I hand applied a 2nd coating of Star Brite Premium Marine Wax to only the left hull, buffed out with the Simoniz buffer I use on the cars. I only did the left hull so I can compare the two waxes longevity. I got the wax in a 16oz tub, as I find the tubs go further than the bottles. You actually use very little of the pure wax, this tub will do 10 Cats, maybe more.
The difference between now, & when I picked it up are dramatic. I would encourage anyone who buys a neglected Cat to consider restoration before painting, unless you want a totally different color.
These hulls were totally white,with copious grunge, showing none of the optional blue gelcote. I think the retro mid 80's color will look great when paired with the dark blue '84 Summer Games sails.
Before;
How they look today. These are dry hulls, on a heavy overcast day.;
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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