My 1st Hatt - 1984 52C

[JuiceClark]

Juice, me thinks you need a new diver. I know the water down there is a challenge but still the props should not look like that. I’m in at Pete area and just now went to once a month cleaning. Was twice a month when water was above 80.

Regardless you can’t as I am sure you know troubleshoot any mechanical issues without a perfectly clean bottom. At least when you go back in you will have all clean and any other issues taken care of.

If you need a mechanic recommendation I highly recommend getting Wayne Hanaseck at Anclote Diesel personally on board. That is if you have not located a DD 2 stroke guru already.

Good luck! Maybe hook up as we pass through on the ways to Keys next June.

I think those props might be original! No record of a change. They're actually clean in the pic, just speckled from when they sat with barnacles. They're thin, like from decades underwater...and will now be landscape decorations.

At least 88 items is down to 8...and 3 of them get done at that yard. With everything working right, I'll finally be able to start working on the exterior paint and polish.

So, I'm definitely looking forward to cruising next Summer. After so many years sitting idle, this ol' girl is gonna run like hell.

The hardest part of this renovation was the difficulty in hiring anyone....both for the boat and in the office so I could get on the boat. I'll definitely call Wayne and appreciate the referral.

 

[JuiceClark]

Have any of your redone your flybridge windscreen? I'm dreading it. Getting all the bolts out is going to be miserable. The pieces are big and heavy and I fear something getting broken. If broken, then I'll have to have something custom made.
But the aluminum is well oxidized and it cannot simply be repainted. It must be powder coated or re-iodized. The tint looks a little funky all around the glass edge as well.

I saw one with the windshield removed, but I'm not sure it looked quite right. Plus, my very expensive eisenglass curtains are attached.

Have you seen anything creative done to ease the pain? I'm trying to figure-out what this guy did to his splended 52C:
https://www.unitedyacht.com/used-yachts-for-sale/hatteras-convertible-1990-congaree-2762267

 

[Briankinley2004]

I had my eisenglass replaced using the existing canvas. It is not too hard to get out. In fact I remove it when a hurricane is coming that predicts over 60 MPH winds. I usually just open the zippers if lower than that. I cannot stand where the eisenglass meets the window frames on my 55C. It is right in my field of vision. I have thought about removing it and going with an enclosed bridge some how

 

[finatic]

I had my windscreen redone on my 52C recently. They did it in place removing the gasket material and the plexi. They made a mess! The old gasket material made black marks on the fiberglass that were a real PITA to remove! They never cleaned up their mess! If you are near Morehead City NC do not use Atlantic Glass and Mirror for anything!

 

[rsmith]

You need to take the glass out first then the aluminum frame won’t be too bad. That’s not OEM windshield

 

[Eddieclemons]

I assume someone got rid of mine altogether.

 

[JuiceClark]

This convo really helps - appreciate it.

With new eisenglass curtains, I'd really hate to permanently remove the windscreen now! Those were close to $15k before the world went inflation crazy. I could put in a dog elevator to the bridge for that money.

I saw one 52 with a solid piece of plexiglass all the way around - no frame at all. It looked great! But that wouldn't be strong enough to attach the curtains, right?

I'd bet Eddie's sweet boat removed the windscreen when it was painted. That'd really be the best time to patch the dozens of resulting holes.

The more I think about it, the more it seems I might just have to do a few build-up coats and paint it....poor man's fix. Then, when I get new eisenglass and/or paint the boat, I'll just remove the damned thing.

Stainless L brackets screwed into aluminum windows ruined them.

The glass is going too.

 

[Briankinley2004]

My frames were pitted like that when I bought the Southern Drawl. I sanded them down after scraping the loose stuff off. Used an etching primer then put a few coats of Awlgrip on them. That was in 2017 and it isn't peeling yet. If you look close you can see the pitting but looking back I probably could have glazed it with Awlgrips glazing compound and that would be hidden. Unless you have large holes all the way through I would consider trying to salvage unless you want to get rid of the line of site issues.

 

[JuiceClark]

My frames were pitted like that when I bought the Southern Drawl. I sanded them down after scraping the loose stuff off. Used an etching primer then put a few coats of Awlgrip on them. That was in 2017 and it isn't peeling yet. If you look close you can see the pitting but looking back I probably could have glazed it with Awlgrips glazing compound and that would be hidden. Unless you have large holes all the way through I would consider trying to salvage unless you want to get rid of the line of site issues.

That's really the best option. It wouldn't be that bad to set them in the garage, sand them all down and get them looking good in white. BUT taking them off is what I dread. Digging the glass out to get the frames off seems like the kind of job I'd say "forget it" about half way through.

Did you refinish them in place? I don't think I could sand them without damaging the paint or scratching the plexi.

 

[RyanB]

Is it possible to remove the wind screen all together? I was following the refit of a 40 something foot MY, on Instagram called "thelanding_", and thats what he did. Removed it completely, painted, and then had the new enclosure glass fitted right to the brow.

Looks really sharp and clean. Like all the new SF yachts come now.

Here's some pics from their account.

 

[Briankinley2004]

That's really the best option. It wouldn't be that bad to set them in the garage, sand them all down and get them looking good in white. BUT taking them off is what I dread. Digging the glass out to get the frames off seems like the kind of job I'd say "forget it" about half way through.

Did you refinish them in place? I don't think I could sand them without damaging the paint or scratching the plexi.

Painted them in place. I had a guy working for me that was a good cut in man and I don't think he even masked much off. I repainted the bridge after that and masked the seam where the frames met the fiberglass but it didn't matter much at that point since the paint matched. I suppose you could mask and spray but we just used awl grip with the brush additive. It doesn't look like a new powder coat job would but it suits my needs

 

[Eddieclemons]

Is it possible to remove the wind screen all together? I was following the refit of a 40 something foot MY, on Instagram called "thelanding_", and thats what he did. Removed it completely, painted, and then had the new enclosure glass fitted right to the brow.

Looks really sharp and clean. Like all the new SF yachts come now.

Here's some pics from their account.

What is their Instagram?

 

[JuiceClark]

Painted them in place. I had a guy working for me that was a good cut in man and I don't think he even masked much off. I repainted the bridge after that and masked the seam where the frames met the fiberglass but it didn't matter much at that point since the paint matched. I suppose you could mask and spray but we just used awl grip with the brush additive. It doesn't look like a new powder coat job would but it suits my needs

Alright, I'll give it a shot. The inside doesn't seem like it would be too bad, after I take all those L-brackets off. The outside will involve a ladder and some patience...and a hat.
My big electronics box is a little pitted as well, and for the same reason - stainless screws put into an aluminum object. I'll figure it out on the windows so the box will be done nicely.

With the market crapping-out and a recession approaching, I'm thinking more fondly of D-I-Y and less of calling someone to take it away for refinishing.

 

[RyanB]

What is their Instagram?

https://www.instagram.com/thelanding_/?hl=en

Pretty much doing what I've been trying to talk my wife into. His wife said yes, mine told me to pound salt....

 

[JuiceClark]

I just remembered where I saw a custom frameless windshield on a 52C. Whomever bought the Reel Lucky was really lucky...nice boat.

https://www.denisonyachtsales.com/y...lybridge-1989-West-Palm-Beach-Florida/7158606

Anyone know this owner? Boat says Naples FL but the old ad says West Palm. Windshield looks nice.

 

[rsmith]

Stuart plastics in Stuart Fla makes these windshields if you want to go that route. Does instrument panels and engraving also.

 

[JuiceClark]

Stuart plastics in Stuart Fla makes these windshields if you want to go that route. Does instrument panels and engraving also.

Thanks, I didn't know that firm.

Every restoration needs one new feature - a capstone. I'll decide where to spend that $$ this Fall...depends if I need to repaint her or not.

 

[rsmith]

He did a custom panel for my 23 Dusky and windshield for my Whaler. Husband and wife deal nice people

 

[Eddieclemons]

I just remembered where I saw a custom frameless windshield on a 52C. Whomever bought the Reel Lucky was really lucky...nice boat.https://www.denisonyachtsales.com/y...lybridge-1989-West-Palm-Beach-Florida/7158606Anyone know this owner? Boat says Naples FL but the old ad says West Palm. Windshield looks nice.

I looked at the boat early on and she was very clean. This was pre-covid and pre-boat value increases. The owner was very actively fishing her out of West Palm with his son. They were going to go to an open or CC platform, I was told. I couldn't bring myself to spend 200k at that moment. Boat was listed with two different brokers during this time. I contracted on my current boat and then bailed after survey. I flew back to West Palm and offered the full asking price, but I was told the boat was coming off the market and owner had decided to keep her. I ended up recontracting on my boat after a coring deck repair around the windless.

 

[JuiceClark]

Interesting. They're cornering the market. No wonder my puny 8k system in the boat costs as much as a 4 ton system in my house!

It's look like things are starting to work-out.

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Dometic stock really dropped as the COVID new boat craze wanes. You'd think prices would start coming-down a bit, but it doesn't seem to be happening in any industry.