Good afternoon from a Newbie.

Good afternoon to the folks on the Trawler Forum! My name is Chip and my wife's name is Julie. It's been two years since we sold our last sailboat and*purchased our Sundowner Tug 30 so I thought it was time to move from the sailboat forums to a trawler forum.
The SD30 has been under refit/rebuild at our home for the last two years.* Since retiring in April the progress is moving forward at a faster rate. It's my life right now.
Here's a link to photos of the project.
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=176048&id=509307992&l=a47ad998a8" title="Photo Album">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=176048&id=509307992&l=a47ad998a8
</a>You don't have to have a FB account to view this album. Currently about 150 photos and almost up to date. Exterior teak removed including decks. Decks re-glassed. New aluminum frame windows. New 2-part paint.
Julie and I are proud of our 'project' and still enthusiastic. This is not our first big boat project but hopefully our last. Splash date next spring in the Alton pool on the Mississippi.
I look forward meeting folks and being a participant on the forum.
Chip

-- Edited by Anode on Saturday 17th of July 2010 01:11:19 PM

Chip and*Julie,

Welcome aboard. *I'm sure you'll find a lot of valuable information on this site, as there are many folks with a myriad of knowledge here. *Your input will be appreciated too.


There are many here on this site who have done just what you two have; that is, trade the wind in for power. *My wife used to refer to going down below in my sailboat as, "going into the cave". *I guess it did seem rather dark.


Congrats on the 'remodel' of your Sundowner. You've got some very impressive pictures on your link and she shows a lot of love!






Mike
Brookings, Oregon

I'll add my compliments on the work and documentation you have on your Facebook page. It seems you are 'way up the learning curve on boat refitting, even before soliciting the "expert" advice that many of the folks here can provide. You have obviously done your homework.

My better half can wield a brush of Cetol but never with the results your wife has achieved. Smooth sailing when you get to splash!

Welcome to the forum!* Boats can become the center of you live.** When we bought out big hole in the water, we were working and spending so much that we move on it and sold the house.* We had not plans of moving a board when we bought the boat, it just happened. 13 years and we are still throwing thousand of dollars and hundred of hour in the hole as new projects seem to come up every year.


*
We are starting to think about retiring, but it will probable be another 3 to 5 years.* By then we hope to have the boat ready and in a condition to throw off the line and Head North to Alaska and then maybe down the Pacific coat.* The boat is basically read except for adding stabilization that hopefully will be added next year.


*
We are presently in repainting the boat with one part Brightside as it seems to hold up as well as the two part and is easier to match/repair.** Every year I repaint as section of the boat so its not so big of a project.* This years its the roof, pilot house and Portugese bridge.*Anyway it keeps us out of trouble and we know where our time and money is going to be spent.*

Thanks -Mike, Al and Phil- for the welcome.* I look forward to participating in the forum. Boats have been a big part of my life for the last 50 years. We've done a couple of other sailboat projects but started looking for a trawler 4 or 5 years ago. How we ended up with Scout is a longer story than needs to be told here.
Once we got started on the refit there was no stopping and now we're committed.
*
Phil -*You are correct on Brightside being much easier to work with than the Perfection. I had to go with a 2-part primer over all my epoxy work so I thought what the heck -*I'll try the 2-part poly. Huge learning curve. Especially with all the nooks and crannies on the topside. Screw up and you sand it off and start over. I will say, it is tough stuff. I'm glad I went with it.

Al - My wife Julie spends many hours sanding and cleaning her brightwork. She works miracles with Daly's Seafin Oil too. It's all a labor of love.

Mike - Julie feels the same way as your wife about sailboats and the 'cave'.
We're both ready to get back on the water so we've been going non-stop. Luckily my brother-in-law keeps a boat in Miami Beach we have access to and I get to do (crew)*a delivery now and then. I work for food if the location/trip is interesting.

Welcome aboard Chip and Julie. The main reason we went from Sail to trawler was to "get out of the cave"!!!

Wow!! Lot of work.

You must be a pro with the glass work by now.
A fellow next slip to mine has a 81 Sundowner tug. about a 30 footer. He has a stack on his . He replaced the fuel tanks . To get them out he had to put an xtra ring on the lazarette hatch that the kids head is poking out of. Really cool boat, nice lines.

SD