The End

Sold the boat to a couple in Rhode Island.

Enjoyed the adventure, but wife never seemed to enjoy the boat or cruising. No fun without her.

The dream of doing the ICW to Florida and going up the Hudson to Montreal and Ottawa and maybe even the Great Loops is dead. Oh well.

Great boat. Highly recommend the Grand Banks for cruising enhtusiasts.

Renovating a Teak Deck Seat

The Teak Deck Seat in the bow of Grand Day Out needed some TLC and repairs. (Thankfully, the main teak deck, probably original is in good shape.) First, the front trim piece became unattached on the left (port side) end. It is attached to a bowed fiberglass section below, so the stress of adhereing to a bowed surface caused it to raise up or straighten out. I reattached it by drilling a new hole, filling with epoxy to seal it and installing an additional screw. Then installed a new teak bung to cover the screw. I then removed the existing bung and screw and found that it had no bearing surface--the hole was bigger than the screw head. (I thought the screw had pulled loose but in fact the screw was not holding down the board--only adhesive that had failed.) Filled hole with epoxy, redrilled and countersinked the hole, then installed the screw and a new bung. (I felt that the mechanical force of two screws on each end would hold the board down more securely.)  For good measure, did the same to the right side. Sanding changed the color and made it apparent that the other teak needed some TLC. Many of the teak boards were loose, and apparently years of cleaning the surface has removed the soft portion of the teak between the grains, so the boards looked unsightly and rough. 

To remove a teak bung, you use a 3/8" Forstner bit and drill till you meet the screw head. To countersink for a teak bung, use the same 3/8" Forstner bit. Careful positioning allows the precision removal of a bung and the point will fall into the slot of the screw head, combined with a slight rolling oscillation of the drill and bit will keep the bit and screw from being damaged.

I made some inquiries on the Trawler Forum. I had anticipated using screws to hold down the teak boards, but most of the guys on the forum advised that I should just "glue down" the boards.  I watched several youtube videos and researched several websites.

To my surprise, the install was nothing like I expected or what I had seen as "examples".  The boards were 3/8" thick, but instead of a 1/4 gap being filled with caulk, the boards were an "L" profile shape with the edges tight to the next board. I think this caused a bit of a buckeling force when the boards became hot in the sun and absorbed some moisture.  It appeared that previous sanding has reduced the depth of the "L" groove. 

I decided to remove all of the loose boards (15) and just sand those that were solidly attached (22).  This would allow me to add a bit of distance between the boards I removed to provide some room for expansion hopefully reducing the probability of the boards buckeling up and coming loose in the future. (Sanding the boards reduced thickness 0.030" from 0.390" (3/8" plus) to 0.360 (3/8" minus) 

Removing the boards turned out to be very difficult. They were loose on one end, but very solidly attached on the other. Required careful use of a putty knife and some bending stress on the board. I broke two boards in the process. Fortunately I was able to mend them with epoxy.  (I was surprised at how well epoxy works with teak---just "prime" the wood with some acetone to reduce the oil in the teak and you get a strong bond. Sanding and skilful use of a sharp wood chisel allows a very nice restoration, even with severe fractures. 5 minute works well but only if you mix it VERY carefully and apply it quickly. Slower cure is probably better, but requires more patience during the clamping stage. 5 minute requires at least 15 minutes of clamping time.)

All the literature recommended having the groove as deep as it was wide, so I needed to renovate the "L" shape profile.  I built a jig to allow the use of a conventional router rabbitt bit. See photos below.

Here are the tools...Orbital Sander (80 and 100 grit), Router, Surfing Tool, 1" Wood Chisel (very sharp---sharpen with honing stone), Special Teak Decking System Scraping Hook, Calipers, and a 5" Circular Saw.

This job will teach you patience. It takes a lot of time to remove the old caulk and "reclaim" the teak, ready for reattaching with Sika 291 Adhesive. The old adhesive had to be carefully scraped or "cut" off of the fiberglass with the Wood Chisel--then cleaning with acetone. Below is a pic with the boards "ready" for adhesive. On several boards that I did not remove, I had to regroove the slots for caulk using the circular saw. (I used a square board as a straight edge with rubber grip mat underneath to guide the saw.)  To get to this point took me 12 hours of work.

 

A cool cloudy day with a light drizzle made the prep work more pleasant, without sweating, but you need a "weather window" without rain to apply the adhesive and later the caulk.  After gluing the boards in place.  I will place sandbags over the boards to hold them down and in place for a few hours, then to be safe to insure no water gets into the open slots, I will cover with plastic overnight.  Once glued down with the Sika 291, it must be cured for 24 hours minimum--48 hours to be sure.

The picture shows the application of the Sika 291 adhesive. I combed it with a 1/4 inch comb. I did not "butter" the boards, but did use the rubber mallet to "seat" the boards and also slid them fore/aft and side to side a little to get a good bond. (I remembered that this stuff really holds, and sometimes a board needs to be removed, so a "perfect" 100% contact bond may actually be undesirable.)  

My next issue was the best choice for the material to use for caulking the seams. Sika does not recommend 291 for that job. It would probably work, but it is not very UV resistant.  

Seems like Teak Decking Systems has done some great marketing for their SIS 440 Teak Deck Caulking. It comes highly recommended in most of the forums.   So, I ordered one 10 oz tube. I foolishly underestimated the amount of caulking required.  A 10 oz. cartridge for a typical caulking gun only provides 20 feet of 1/4" bead. That is 240 inches more or less. When I figured the total length of the seams I needed to fill, my estimate was closer to 700 inches!  So one tube would not do. I needed three or four!

I took this opportunity to rethink my choice.  

TDS SIS440 is a silicone based product. It is really a silane based product, but silane is a sub group of silicone based compounds.  It is an excellent product...very good UV protection..BUT. A) It does not adhere to polyurethane caulk; and B) It does not have good resistance to petroleum based fluids.  

So, TDS SIS440 might not do well as a "repair" caulk. And, although the technical support people at TDS say SEMCO Teak Sealer can be used carefully,  I became concerned that using SEMCO, that is 75% mineral spirits (according to their SDS), might soften the caulk and maybe even allow the caulk to stain clothing or shoes.

Sika recommends its polyurethane 290DC caulk for teak decking. In Europe you can buy it in 10oz cartridges, but in the US, only in 20oz sausages, requiring a special caulking gun. And, 290DC is not offered by my major suppliers: Defender Marine nor Jamestown Distributors. Seems like there is one sole distributor of 290DC in the US, based in FL, according to Sika's Marine Tech Support at 203-453-3090.  

Pretty sure that the caulk on the decks of 36 year old Grand Day Out are polyurethane, so a polyurethane caulk would be good for repairs and polyurethane caulk is generally more resistant to petroleum solvents. So no worries about using SEMCO to keep my teak brown colored. 

The whole debate of allowing teak to oxidize to a silver gray color or to treat it with something to "preserve" the brown color is just that--a debate. My research indicated that SEMCO Teak Sealer was the easiest and best product for that purpose--I intend to use that instead of varnish or other glossy coatings on all of the considerable teak on the Grand Banks 36. I also concluded that the silver gray look just seemed to scream "maintenance deferred" or "old-like a gray haired old man" and part of owning a boat is the pride of maintaining it at a high level. (Must be the Navy/Maritime tradition of my family coming out.) To me, wood should look like wood--teak should look like teak. (See picture of the USS Missouri battleship at sea with it's beautiful natural brown teak deck!)

So finding the Sika 290 DC seemed a chore, and dispensing using a sausage was less attractive than the familiar 10oz cartriges in a standard caulking gun. 

I found that Sikaflex 1a had very similar specs. Seems like 290DC is marketed for "marine wood" use where 1a is marketed for "industrial wood, metal and concrete" use. The only major difference seems to be "tack free" curing times:  70 minutes for the 290C and 3 hours for the 1a. (This actually is an advantage for a DIY'r like me---I would be able to lay in all of the seams and then be able to tool all of the seams at the same time. 70 minutes would not be enough time for me.) The "Elongation at Break" and "Tear Resistance" and Hardness ASTM specs are almost indentical. Sika's Marine Tech Support confirmed this info. And, Sikaflex 1a meets Federal Spec TT-S-00230C, Type II, Class A which includes a requirement for UV resistance. 

TDS SIS440 Silane Caulk

Sikaflex 290DC Product Sheet

Sikaflex 1a Product Sheet

Sikaflex 1a is available at Jamestown Distributors and from Amazon. It is half the price of 290DC. An important note:  Although some polyurethanes are more resistant to UV radiation than others, silicone based materials are much more resistant. So, if you were installing a completely new deck, and then allowing it to turn silver gray, TDS SIS440 would probably be a very good choice. But for repairing a deck, previously caulked with a polyurethane, or where SEMCO or Teak Oil will be used to maintain the "wood color", Sika 1a would probably be the best choice. Finally, your choice would have to consider the fact that polyurethane is more wear resistant to foot traffic than silicone. So it becomes a balance between resistance to wear, chemicals and sunlight. 

Here is a comparison chart of the three main types: Polysulfides, Silicone/Silanes, and Polyurethanes.

Some caulk without tape, but I decided that limited taping would reduce the amount of sanding needed. After the caulk cures for 48 hours, you can sand it with 80 grit disc in an orbital sander.

Almost...

Be aware that polyurethane caulk can be applied at temps up to 100F, BUT---in direct sunlight an above cabin deck can easily reach 130F on a 80F ambient temp day.  At 130F, bubbles will form. 😒

Unfortunately, although I was applying caulk in 80 degree F air, the surface of the decking was much hotter---130 F.  This created air bubbles that could not be removed. 

To fix, after letting it cure 48 hours, I sanded the caulk, flashed it with acetone and applied another layer. Fortunately, this polyurethane Sika 1a sticks to itself well, so the second application produced a reasonably good result. This time, I applied the caulk under a "tent" to shade the surface from direct sunlight.

Even under a tent, the surface temp of the wood was hotter than the air.

Below is the "finished" product after applying Semco Teak Sealer-Gold Tone. Not perfect, but very pretty.  

After being exposed to rain, I noticed a couple seams that showed signs of water impregnation. These were strips that I had not removed or recaulked---so sanding must have disturbed the bond to the teak.  So I cut out the caulk, taped and refilled these seams. 

Interestingly, even on a 72 degree day, in direct sun, the teak was getting too hot. So I used an umbrella to shield the area.

Making it easier to Board

Upon arrival at home base in Port Deposit, my wife Carol met us at the slip. Her first comment was that she was "unable to board" as the distance from the floating dock to the boat's deck was too far and too high.

I had anticipated that boarding might be an issue and had purchased a small but sturdy aluminum two step ladder, but it did not really meet the need. The orientation parallel to the boat made it clumsy to reach the ladder as the "A" frame placed the steps too far away, and placing the ladder perpendicular did not seem stable enough.

First response was to change from a ladder to a sturdy 17" stool. 

The stool solved the height issue, but not the reach. Even with the boat pulled to within 6-8 inches from dock (thickness of fender) it was still a long step from the stool over the gunwale onto the deck. Clearly some form of "stepover" step was required that provided a step attached to the boat outside of the gunwale. 

The example above is one solution--beautifully made. Principle is using the rub rail to support the weight.  I did not however care for the small metal attaching hooks.  

Using the rub rail as a step was a possibility--like the picture below. I had used this "method" of boarding (without the teak tread) as my personal boarding step. But it seemed to small (not deep enough).

It seemed to me that I could make a step that hooked over the gunwale with weight carried by the rub rail and the gunwale railing. I made a pattern using cardboard, using scissors and duct tape to create the shape and fit.  Then I constructed the step from 3/4" select pine 1x12 board. The only wood available at Home Depot was pine, poplar or oak. Pine was a bit weaker, but easier to work with--important since I would be using "amateur" level woodworking tools.

I considered aluminum, but the material was just too expensive and I would need to hire a professional to TIG weld it.

I cut the pieces with a circular saw and a jig saw. Used a 4 inch grinder, a Dremel grinder and oribital sander to shape and finish. I used a router to cut grooves for the joints and assembled with screws and epoxy. Since it was pine, I added reinforcement to the sides and the tread, making them 1 1/2 inches thick. 

To fit the unit to the boat, I actually whittled with a knife to get a precise fit--the goal being for the weight to be shared by the gunwale and the rub rail...and "torque" to be shared by the gunwale and the hull below the rub rail. 

I then painted with white automotive lacquer and caulked the joints/cracks.  Finally, added two aluminum strips to the step tread for traction. Below is a pic with a t-square adjacent to allow a sense of dimensions.

The unit should be reasonably weather resistant and easier to store, place and remove.

For some, a  one or two step stool will be a welcome addition. For more agile passengers and crew, this step should be enough. One foot on dock, the other on step, left hand on boat railing, right hand on flybridge step bar as you step over gunwale.  Below is a pic of the final setup.

Protecting the boat from Floating Docks

The Grand Banks 36 Classic was clearly designed for the typical fixed dock with pilings to rub against. It has a sturdy perimeter rub rail with an additional lower rail on the rear section.

This additional lower rail on the rear section is about the same height above the water as a typical floating dock, presenting a risk of interference with the boat moving up and down in wave action. (Boats move considerably more up/down than the floating dock finger from wave action.)

Two precautionary items were added. First a round buoy fender is hung to be just below the rail--almost touching the water. This prevents the rail from contacting the dock structure.

In addition, using 3" PVC Sch 40 pipe, I made "L" shaped "bridge" fenders or "PVC Boat Guards" to prevent the dock edge surface from entering the space between the lower rub rail and the hull. These "bridge" fenders or PVC Boat Guards can also be helpful when docking as they prevent contact with the dock surface and slide easily as the boat enters the slip. 

Many claim that you can rely on the padding on the dock edge to protect the hull, but my experience is that this padding is often missing, misplaced, or has protruding staples or nails that can damage a hull. Fenders and PVC Boat Guards can "get in the way" if you enter the slip with the front of the hull sliding against the dock edge, but I believe that even in windy conditions, you should be able to get the boat far enough into the slip, clear of the dock edge, so that if there is contact, it is against a fender or PVC Boat Guard.

As a final extra precaution, I add a fender at the front, just ahead of where the hull tapers, to protect the hull on initial entry--just in case.  So during entry, there are a total of 6 cylindrical fenders, 2 round fenders and 2 PVC Boat Guards. Resting in the slip, I lift the two front fenders as they are not needed once the bow is secured by lines. 

Grand Day Out's hull has no scratches in 36 years of operation. I hope to maintain that record with an abundance of caution and care.

Repositioning-The First Voyage

Here we are at Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Under roof in an very old "boat barn" in the fresh water of the ICW. This is where Virginia Yacht Brokers store their "inventory" and where I first saw Grand Day Out.

After completing the Condition Survey and the Purchase, I scheduled the "repositioning" trip to Port Deposit, MD for Friday, May 22, 2020.  A bit of a concern was the first tropical storm of the season, but the forecast was that it would veer off to the northeast before our trip. Turned out that the major weather effects was from a powerful low pressure system just southwest of Norfolk, producing strong gusty winds from the Southeast--pushing waves in from the ocean thru the mouth of the Bay and producing fetch all the way to Baltimore.

I arrived, the day before to provision and ready the boat for the trip. Two concerns from the survey were that the flares were out of date and the fire extinguishers were old and dry chemical type.  So that night I installed a new 5BC FireBoy Halatron extinguisher by the entrance.  In order to be sure I was solidly mounted and that no screws would penetrate wiring, I removed the panel cover. Installation into the thick sides of the channel turned out solid and satisfactory.

I also installed a 5BC Halon (from H3R) unit under the sink.  Because Halon is more effective than Halatron, this unit becomes the "First Line of Defense". (I also carry a mini disposable Halon unit for kitchen fires.) In addition, I placed new Orion flare kit along with HD SOLAS parachute flares and smoke aboard. Boat is now equipped far above USCG requirements. (I will add a third "clean agent" 5BC fire extinguisher (Halatron) soon, bringing the total count of extinquishers to five including the two dry chem units.) 

The next morning, on schedule, we filled up with diesel adding about 250 gallons at $1.45 per gallon. Captain Dustin Daniels was the official delivery captain. I was going along as "crew" and as a "student". In no hurry because of high winds in the Bay, we departed around 9 AM. First encounter was the Great Bridge Bridge and Lock. We then proceeded up the Elizabeth River (ICW) past the Gilmerton Railroad Bridge and others on our way to Norfolk.

Once in the Norfolk/Hampton Harbor, we passed some impressive US Navy ships.

Now, decision time. Wind forecast is 15 knot winds and 3 foot waves. (We were using all available forcasting tools: SailFlow; Windfinder Pro, Windy and Predict Wind as well as NOAA/NWS.  But it looked more tame, so we entered the Chesapeake Bay! The Great Adventure Begins! Turned out that wind did not increase as we traveled north past the York River, but the waves got worse--not taller, but with less duration--more choppy and they were coming at us at an angle--quartering on our stern.  Really awful ride---boat rocking and rolling and twisting with each wave. Five hours of this was a long time. (The water was very blue and quite beautiful.)

None too soon, we turned toward Deltaville, our destination for the first night and stayed at the very nice Dozier Marina. Order a Pizza delivered and hit the sack early.

Next morning we pulled out at dawn (5:30AM).  The seas had calmed. Like sailing on a lake! Beautiful morning. We saw a large school of more than 200 dolphins. Passing the Smith Point lighthouse, we began the crossing of the mouth of the Potomac River. Very happy that seas were calm as this stretch can be the most hazardous and uncomfortable with high winds, heavy seas and strong tides--about 10-15 miles of "open" water.

A very long 14+ hour day. Finally reaching Annapolis where we stayed overnight. (Very happy that the Raymarine Auto Pilot system worked well--just set the heading and keep an eye on it. The Garmin ChartPlotters are also excellent. My INAVX on an IPad4 Mini using Bad Elf GPS was also excellent. Always know where you are and what the depths and hazards are!) Memorial Day Weekend and recent ending of Maryland's "stay at home" brought out big crowds. The water became quite rough and choppy on our approach caused by many speedboats running at top speed making big wakes!  Bordering on chaos considering the mix of stationary fishing boats, commerical traffic, sailboats, trawlers and 30 mph 900 HP express cruisers all seeming to be going in different directions.

Grand Day Out still running very well. Captain Daniels plotted a course that was the most direct, so we missed a bit of scenery.  I tend want to "hug the coast" a bit more.  

Again, we departed at dawn. Cloudy and rainy day as we approached the Bay Bridge. North winds on our bow and a strong tide on our stern made for rough seas, but since they hit us on our nose, there was little rolling and the ride was comfortable--sort of like riding (posting) a horse. Quite a bit of commerical traffic, but not may pleasure boats. The Chart Plotter showed about 9 mph, a gain of about 1 mph from the favorable tide. (Hull speed is about 8 mph at 1800 RPM) Gauges on the flybridge reading a little different from the Pilothouse--RPM about 100-200 RPM lower on the flybridge--water temp about 5 degrees F higher. Water temp ran 180 to 185 F.

We ran in most of the trip in the 1700 to 2000 RPM range on the Pilothouse Tachometer.

Concluded that the boat handles heavy seas pretty well. Choppy seas in the Chesapeake come from opposing wind and tides--not a problem unless waves are coming at an angle toward your stern--particularly as you pass perpendicular to the mouth of a large river. (e.g. York or Potomac)  Even then, the boat does not mind, but the the ride is not the best for the crew over an extended time.

One important fact: Tides in the Chesapeake are complicated and important. They affect boat speed and wave action. And, in the Chesapeake, it is not just the height of the waves--the "duration" or "period" and direction is even more important. Short choppy three second duration, two foot waves at an angle on the stern are worse than three foot, long 10 second duration waves on the bow. Winds in the present are less an issue than their direction in relation to tide currents and residual wave action (direction) from past winds. 

Here is a quote from an article about tides and currents in the Bay:

"The primary force causing tides in the Chesapeake Bay is the progression of the tide through the southern entrance from the Atlantic Ocean. A secondary source in the upper Bay is through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal from ocean tides which have progressed through Delaware Bay. The modification of the characteristics of the ocean tide that take place in the Bay are dependent on the width, depth, and configuration of the estuarine basins and tributaries. 

The Chesapeake Bay is fairly unique because it is long enough to contain one complete wave length of the dominant semidiurnal tide: i.e., when one high tide is reaching the head of the Bay near Havre de Grace, the next high tide is just entering the Bay near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The mean range of tide (the elevation difference between high water and low water) in the Bay varies from 2.8 feet at the Atlantic Ocean entrance, slowly decreasing to 1.0 foot near Annapolis, and then increasing to nearly 2.0 feet near Town Point, Maryland. 

An interesting feature of the tide in mid-Bay is that the range of the tide is generally higher on the Eastern Shore than the Western Shore. For example, the range of the tide at Smith Point (mother of the Potomac River) is around 1.0 foot while the range across the Bay in Tangier Sound is around 1.2 feet. The ranges of tide in the tributaries on the western and eastern sides of the Bay show significant increases proceeding up the rivers. For instance, in the Potomac River, the range of tide near the entrance is just about 1.0 foot, while the range of tide at Washington, D.C. is just over 2.6 feet. 

The average speeds of maximum flood and maximum ebb currents show similar distribution with the highest average speeds of less than 0.5 knots in the mid-Bay from Windmill Point up to Bloody Point Light. The average speeds are then between 0.5 and 1.0 knots up to the head of the Bay. 

There are two kinds of tidal cycles in the Bay. In the southern Bay and in Tangier Sound, the tides and tidal currents are semidiurnal, while in the central and northern Bay, they are classified as mixed. Semidiurnal tides generally have two high and two low waters each day. Diurnal tides generally have one high and one low per day. 

Mixed tides are a combination of semidiurnal and diurnal tide types. A characteristic of mixed tides is that on days when two high waters and two low waters occur, the two high tides and the two low tides will be of unequal height. The tides and tidal currents in the Bay described above can be significantly modified by the effects of local and large  scale meteorological patterns. These effects include strength and duration of wind speed and direction, barometric pressure changes, and river runoff. 

The tides in the Bay are highly susceptible to modification because the Bay is generally shallow and the tides and the tidal current are very weak. The effect on the tides is highly dependent on the direction of the winds relative to the orientation of the basin, and the scale of the meteorological event. For instance, a local squall line might have dramatic local effects on the tide for a short duration, while a large scale East coast storm affects the entire Bay for several days, especially with added effects of river runoff from the tributaries. However, the characteristics of the Bay are such that even relatively frequent meteorological patterns and associated changes can significantly affect the tides. "

Here is some video from the trip.

Finally arrived on the third day at "home port" Port Deposit on the Susquehanna River, just north of Havre de Grace Harbor. Best estimate is that we burned around 60 gallons of diesel in about 32 hours of running. Grand Day Out fit into the 40ft by 14ft slip perfectly. 

A great "3 days at sea" adventure and very good learning experience. Very happy with the boat. She is old and requires a lot of regular maintenance but is in excellent condition. She is not particularly fast at 8 mph, but fast enough and very economical. Perfect boat for an retired old man!

One interesting note.  Almost exactly 75 years ago, my Father, Donald Kenneth Strout, then 17 years old, entered the US Navy at Port Deposit with his basic training at the Bainbridge Naval Training Center in the summer of 1945. His only experience on a naval vessel was his training in large rowboats, probably not far from where Grand Day Out is now located.  He later was assigned to a B24 flying out of Newfoundland, searching the Atlantic for German submarines--flying low altitude missions from Newfoundland to the Azores and back.

Video about B24 Sub Hunters