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#21
Precision / Fixing a chip
Last post by Brian N. - Jun 26, 2026, 10:49 AMHad a small chip at the corner of the transom about the size of a dime. but it just exposed some fibers in the glass. The chip was just below the rub rail, and certainly not concerning as to integrity of the structure. Most of the online videos concerned much bigger repairs and were not of any help. I made a quick call to Defender Marine for advice and purchased a small tube of "Gel Coat Scratch Patch". $20 plus shipping, a bit expensive, but it was not any cheaper on Amazon
I applied it as the Defender representative suggested: Underfill the area, wait an hour then smooth out. Wait three hours or more, then apply the rest to fill the depression but be careful not to overfill. He advised to apply the second fill VERY slowly, barely squeezing the tube, letting the gel flow smoothly forming a clean smooth shiny surface. The repair was the prefect color match (white), and while not perfectly hidden, it is pretty good. The first fill was a little runny, but after a about 20 minutes dry time I used the small plastic scraper to remove the runs. On the second fill I was more careful
I applied it as the Defender representative suggested: Underfill the area, wait an hour then smooth out. Wait three hours or more, then apply the rest to fill the depression but be careful not to overfill. He advised to apply the second fill VERY slowly, barely squeezing the tube, letting the gel flow smoothly forming a clean smooth shiny surface. The repair was the prefect color match (white), and while not perfectly hidden, it is pretty good. The first fill was a little runny, but after a about 20 minutes dry time I used the small plastic scraper to remove the runs. On the second fill I was more careful
#22
Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Father's Day Sail on Cresc...
Last post by Doug SC - Jun 26, 2026, 10:26 AMQuote from: Captain Kidd on Jun 26, 2026, 08:49 AMPS: many years ago I looked at a church in Palatka. Obviously didn't work out.
I lived for 6 years in Welaka while working for UF. It is also on the St. Johns River. Both our daughters were born in Palatka. We did our shopping in Palatka. It was an important river town in Florida's early years as a state. I was a paddler and did a lot of springs, rivers, and lakes. That part of FL in the late 70s and early 80s wasn't highly developed yet. I hunted on the west end of Cresent Lake in some of the swamps and higher ground back then small game, deer, turkey, and wild hogs.
#23
Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Father's Day Sail on Cresc...
Last post by Charles Brennan - Jun 26, 2026, 09:38 AMDale, 
Charles Brennan
Quote from: Captain Kidd on Jun 26, 2026, 08:49 AMPS: many years ago I looked at a church in Palatka.Too bad it didn't work out; you would have had some GREAT sailing venues in the St. John's river environs, right behind your church!!
Charles Brennan
#24
Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Father's Day Sail on Cresc...
Last post by Captain Kidd - Jun 26, 2026, 08:49 AMIndeed a great way to spend Father's Day.
Glad that hole is getting smaller!
PS: many years ago I looked at a church in Palatka. Obviously didn't work out.
Glad that hole is getting smaller!
PS: many years ago I looked at a church in Palatka. Obviously didn't work out.
#25
Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Father's Day Sail on Cresc...
Last post by Charles Brennan - Jun 25, 2026, 01:51 PMRiley, Like most everything else on this boat, that was not an accident.
The mast length was extended 4 inches over the original plans, due to foreknowledge of a future Bimini top.
Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan
The mast length was extended 4 inches over the original plans, due to foreknowledge of a future Bimini top.
Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan
#26
Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Father's Day Sail on Cresc...
Last post by Riley Smith - Jun 25, 2026, 10:27 AMIrish Pennant has nice head room below the boom! One definite caution area of S R Cat. Yes, it has hit this noggin. Yes, it hurt and bled. Great sail! And a great smile on Mary. Now that's what I call a good Fathers Day!!
#27
TSBB General Talk / Re: One
Last post by Riley Smith - Jun 25, 2026, 12:52 AMSo...the accounting has begun with a tally of damaged and lost homes from TS Arthur. 250 homes damaged including 15 destroyed and 78 with major damage. Roads and bridges took a real hit; around 50 roads and three bridges at this time with several counties still assessing. I know of one major bridge not included in that total. Water is still up here in Jackson County and our two rivers, and I'm sure that assessment will go up as some places are still inaccessible. The major bridge was over the Pascagoula at Vancleave and was closed due to erosion from river current and rain. It causes a 30 mile detour and is going to be a really big problem. That is basically a preliminary count. The end total will be much bigger.
Tropical Storms can bring unimaginable amounts of rain. We're at the bottom end of the river, so it is magnified despite us not getting the amount of rain others did. We still got PLENTY (somewhere around 10-15 inches here) but I watched as the storm slowed and barely moved for hours, with a "train" of thunderstorms over a specific area that basically stayed in one spot for a LONG time. So if you hear of a TS, it doesn't mean that things didn't get really serious. Additionally, there were numerous tornadoes in the bottom part of our state. Not those pavement eating monsters of the great plains but mostly small EF-1s and smaller that tear up a few trees and rip a few roofs.
After a two day hiatus, we got more rain this evening. .7 inches on my gauge at the moment, and I hear thunder off in the distance now. One good thing is the dragonflies have increased and with that, a dent is happening in the mosquito population. We cleaned the pool and swam this evening before the rain, my first swim of the year and the latest that has happened ever. I STILL have to wait another three weeks before I can dive underwater because of eye surgery, but the water felt great in the heat.
Tropical Storms can bring unimaginable amounts of rain. We're at the bottom end of the river, so it is magnified despite us not getting the amount of rain others did. We still got PLENTY (somewhere around 10-15 inches here) but I watched as the storm slowed and barely moved for hours, with a "train" of thunderstorms over a specific area that basically stayed in one spot for a LONG time. So if you hear of a TS, it doesn't mean that things didn't get really serious. Additionally, there were numerous tornadoes in the bottom part of our state. Not those pavement eating monsters of the great plains but mostly small EF-1s and smaller that tear up a few trees and rip a few roofs.
After a two day hiatus, we got more rain this evening. .7 inches on my gauge at the moment, and I hear thunder off in the distance now. One good thing is the dragonflies have increased and with that, a dent is happening in the mosquito population. We cleaned the pool and swam this evening before the rain, my first swim of the year and the latest that has happened ever. I STILL have to wait another three weeks before I can dive underwater because of eye surgery, but the water felt great in the heat.
#28
TSBB General Talk / Re: Has anyone heard from Char...
Last post by Wayne Howard - Jun 24, 2026, 01:25 AMNada, unfortunately.
#29
Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Father's Day Sail on Cresc...
Last post by Charles Brennan - Jun 23, 2026, 08:59 AMDoug, The black nylon straps were just another of the myriad compromises that most small boats entail.
For example, Bimini tops typically come in 4, 6, and 8 foot lengths; I needed 5 feet. They are (in this range) 66"-72" wide, I needed 64". The closest I could find (at a good price) was a two-bow model for Jon boats. Not a problem to get a 3rd bow from a marine salvage store and still spend far less than a 3-bow model.
3-bow Bimini tops typically have a third pocket sewn in across the top to hold that third bow in place. Since I already knew I was cutting a 6-foot top down to 5 feet, I had considered sewing in a 3rd middle frame pocket with the excess fabric.
But as Real World Compromises reared their ugly heads I realized the conventional solution came with its own issues. Like keeping the top from sagging, when a solar array was on top of the Bimini top.
If I installed a 3rd frame pocket, I would have no good way to support the solar array longitudinally, when the top was up.
You cannot view this attachment.
Or support the fabric fore/aft along the center line.
If I left out the center frame pocket, the 3rd frame would not stay in place, when folding/unfolding the Bimini top. (See above pic.) By having a strap between the 1st and 2nd frame and another strap between the 2nd and 3rd frame, I could control frame spacing tension AND I could provide solar array support along the center line of the top.
You cannot view this attachment.
As we all know: On small boats, every single component has to do 2 or 3 different things.
Nothing on this boat, was done without considerable forethought (and occasional angst).
Another example was my 13 inch Bimini tracks.
Track kits are typically 24 inches, why cut it down?
Two reasons:
1) A full length track would be so far inboard on the curving deck, as to prevent mounting the coaming rail tops.
2) A 13" track allows the frame ends to slide all the way aft and fold down in front of the veranda, or slide all the way forward and lay down at the rear of the cockpit and still clear the traveler rigging.
Forward:
You cannot view this attachment.
Aft:
You cannot view this attachment.
Shown here with the traveler on the wrong side of the top (which I corrected, as soon as I saw the traveler chafing the Bimini top).
Certainly, I could have made the track a little longer, but by making it to that exact b@$t@rd measurement of 13", I don't have to think about where to position the frame on the track.
I simply use it.
Those straps also helped immeasurably, when I was first fabricating the Bimini top and figuring out where everything had to (eventually) be.
You cannot view this attachment.
Finally, they allow tension to be distributed more evenly between the Bimini fabric and the tie-down straps.
Without them, there could be excessive strap tension, and solar array sag; so there they sit.
Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan
For example, Bimini tops typically come in 4, 6, and 8 foot lengths; I needed 5 feet. They are (in this range) 66"-72" wide, I needed 64". The closest I could find (at a good price) was a two-bow model for Jon boats. Not a problem to get a 3rd bow from a marine salvage store and still spend far less than a 3-bow model.
3-bow Bimini tops typically have a third pocket sewn in across the top to hold that third bow in place. Since I already knew I was cutting a 6-foot top down to 5 feet, I had considered sewing in a 3rd middle frame pocket with the excess fabric.
But as Real World Compromises reared their ugly heads I realized the conventional solution came with its own issues. Like keeping the top from sagging, when a solar array was on top of the Bimini top.
If I installed a 3rd frame pocket, I would have no good way to support the solar array longitudinally, when the top was up.
You cannot view this attachment.
Or support the fabric fore/aft along the center line.
If I left out the center frame pocket, the 3rd frame would not stay in place, when folding/unfolding the Bimini top. (See above pic.) By having a strap between the 1st and 2nd frame and another strap between the 2nd and 3rd frame, I could control frame spacing tension AND I could provide solar array support along the center line of the top.
You cannot view this attachment.
As we all know: On small boats, every single component has to do 2 or 3 different things.
Nothing on this boat, was done without considerable forethought (and occasional angst).
Another example was my 13 inch Bimini tracks.
Track kits are typically 24 inches, why cut it down?
Two reasons:
1) A full length track would be so far inboard on the curving deck, as to prevent mounting the coaming rail tops.
2) A 13" track allows the frame ends to slide all the way aft and fold down in front of the veranda, or slide all the way forward and lay down at the rear of the cockpit and still clear the traveler rigging.
Forward:
You cannot view this attachment.
Aft:
You cannot view this attachment.
Shown here with the traveler on the wrong side of the top (which I corrected, as soon as I saw the traveler chafing the Bimini top).
Certainly, I could have made the track a little longer, but by making it to that exact b@$t@rd measurement of 13", I don't have to think about where to position the frame on the track.
I simply use it.
Those straps also helped immeasurably, when I was first fabricating the Bimini top and figuring out where everything had to (eventually) be.
You cannot view this attachment.
Finally, they allow tension to be distributed more evenly between the Bimini fabric and the tie-down straps.
Without them, there could be excessive strap tension, and solar array sag; so there they sit.
Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan
#30
Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Father's Day Sail on Cresc...
Last post by Chris Muthig - Jun 23, 2026, 08:47 AMJust to rub salt in the wound, You know: the same little boy, who's 4 or 5 inches taller than me?"
Bear in mind your grandson at 15 is already 6'3" with no signs of stopping.
Bear in mind your grandson at 15 is already 6'3" with no signs of stopping.