First Session – Hull refit
Actually, in this year’s work session, we “only” wanted to recoat the previously sanded surfaces of the underwater hull (see here). We also planned to reinforce the already laminated area around the keel (deadwood and transition to the hull) with additional layers of laminate. Last but not least, the installation of the new heat exchanger for engine cooling was on the agenda, as the old one was leaking due to corrosion. Incidentally, the new version of the Sole Mini 33’s engine cooling system now features its own sacrificial anode for the heat exchanger. We naturally ordered the necessary conversion kit and installed it as well. As the icing on the cake, we also wanted to finally replace the aging SIGNET depth transducer with a new one.
Of course, things turned out differently. While sanding down the laminate applied last year in the keel area, Frank noticed significant delamination between the wood and the laminate. We have been laminating with our 2K epoxy system for over 25 years and have never seen anything like this before. Obviously, the epoxy resin did not adhere to the primer used by the shipyard. A more detailed analysis showed that either the primer batch used was faulty or the primer had not been applied professionally by the shipyard, because the primer did not even adhere to itself. We were able to simply peel off the laminate around the keel like Velcro. Part of the primer remained on both, the laminate and the wood (!), which clearly proves that the primer was the problem. We confronted the shipyard with this and also showed them the relevant photos and video footage, but the shipyard did not provide a satisfactory explanation – except that there was probably something wrong with the primer. Oh really? We were naturally appalled and angry, but we didn’t have time to dwell on it, because now we had to remove the sticky primer residue from the wood. This residue could not be sanded off, but had to be laboriously wiped off with plenty of acetone and rags. In total, this “operation” took us 2-3 full days, because after removing the primer, cleaning and sanding, everything had to be re-laminated.
Thankfully, the rest of the work session went according to plan. Before laminating we filled the visible cracks with homemade epoxy filler and then coated the hull with 1-2 layers of laminate (silane, plain, 163 g/m2). This was followed by another layer of our tried-and-tested AWLFAIR fairing compound, which we applied wet-in-wet with the GRP. Think pink 🙂 During the 2 days it took for the filler to cure, we continued working on the motor (heat exchanger) and the depth transducer. The final step involved sanding the filler and then priming. We now swear by Behnke’s epoxy primer for this.
Second Session
Shortly before launching the ship and preparing it for the sailing season, I completed the final remaining tasks, including a few extras.
# The flickering cabin light above the chart table was replaced with a modern LED bar (white and red).
# The navigation corner was dismantled, sanded, cleaned and repainted.
# The aft mooring cleat on the starboard side was finally available at the shop and could be installed.
# Two newly chrome-plated LEWMAR 40 winches were mounted on the deck islands.
# Most important, the primer on the bottom hull needed to be lightly sanded and then coated with antifouling paint, as well as the prop.
Third Session – Hull refit continued
This session wasn’t planned at all, cause normally, after the sailing holiday, it’s all over and the ship is packed away for the coming winter months. This year, however, as luck would have it, I had a few extra days of holiday available, so Frank and I were able to put in an extra shift. Rolling Stone was transported to the shipyard hall immediately after being hauled out, and we took the opportunity to work on the areas of the underwater hull on the port side that had not yet been refitted. A total of six layers consisting of various primers, fillers and antifouling had to be sanded down until the finest mahogany wood was revealed. As you see, we only took a few photos, but it took us a whole week to get rid off all the paint and different coatings. We worked simultaneously with two grinders and cyclone seperators, always being very careful not to hurt the wood, which is in an excellent condition. Spring 2026 will see us sealing and recoating this area with epoxy resin and GRP laminate, which will be another milestone in refitting the entire hull.
