I've been toiling away trying to get my new (to me) 1981 DSII sail-ready, and I figured it's time to share my progress and ask some questions! I will try to keep my progress together on this thread in case anyone wants to see how things turn out.
Got this boat 2 weeks ago in Long Island for $450. I knew right away that it was in rough shape, but not much worse than others I'd been looking at in the area, and 1/3 the price! Boat and trailer have no title, so I'll have to figure that out once the DMV reopens. Every boat around here seems to have no title or paperwork. Not sure what they are expecting people to do regarding registration when the DMV is completely shut down, but I guess I'll cross that bridge eventually. I had the PO fill out all of the relevant DMV paperwork so hopefully with a chipper attitude and a few hundred dollars they will let me register.
Known issues when I bought it:
-Deep crack in the gel coat at the front of the centerboard cavity.
-Deck/hull separation at bow with a poorly done repair
-Minor deck/hull separation by the transom
-Nasty old bottom paint that needs to be completely removed
-Trailer bearings are totally shot
-Autobailer is gone
-Sails are old, mainsail is a bit too small but serviceable
Issues I've discovered since getting it home:
-One jib track is loose, and one car has no thumbscrew
-Tabernacle needs to be reaffixed
-One of the sidestays is frayed
-Big gel coat blister by the transom
-The autobailer appears to have actually SNAPPED off
-Tiller handle is at the wrong height and rubbing on the transom
My goal with this boat is to have it look good with an emphasis on servicability. I have zero interest in two part products, I want off-the-shelf cans so that I can spot repair whenever necessary. I will be keeping it on the trailer, but there is a possibility that I may occasionally take it to a lake once in a while and leave it in the water a few days. Boat will primarily be used in Long Island Sound and the lower Hudson River. I have no intention of racing.
So far I have:
-Replaced the bearings and hubs
-Repaired gel coat crack by CB
-Repaired gel coat bubble
-Repaired tiller height, currently refinishing tiller and rudder
-Repaired the deck/hull separations
-Completely sanded off the bottom paint and started sanding/filling the topsides
-Replaced side stay
Right now my biggest question is what do to with the bottom. Keep in mind that I am going CHEAP. I have no interest even in Interlux level products. I am using Rustoleum topsides in battleship grey for the topsides. I bought Rustoleum bottom paint for below the waterline, but now that I've actually sanded down to gel coat, I'm having some second thoughts. Hoping I can get some reassurance! Rain for the next two days it looks like, so I've got some time for input.
Here are my considerations: I know the boat does not NEED antifouling paint, since it won't stay in the water. However, I want something that is super tough that looks acceptable even when beat up. To me, the only logical choice then is bottom paint. I could use either topsides or perhaps even flat black regular rustoleum (with added hardener), but I have a feeling that it will look terrible after a few weeks. I feel like I will end up having to totally refinish the bottom each year to keep it looking acceptable if I go this route, especially because I plan on running up on gravelly Long Island beaches quite regularly, whereas with bottom paint I can just do touch ups with a brush/roller yearly without having to careen. One final thought against bottom paint is the lack of eco-friendliness. I know that this boat will hardly make in impact, but it still makes me feel terrible polluting the waters that I love. So the decision is between doing primer/flat rustoleum or just doing rustoleum bottom paint. Please share your thoughts!
Another question is regarding the autobailer. It looks like is a bronze piece snapped off inside the hull. If I buy a new autobailer, will I need to drill the bronze casting out, or is that supposed to stay there? The interior diameter of the bronze casting is 7/8", the exterior diameter is 1 1/4". Secondly, D&R is out of autobailers and they don't know when more will be in. Visually, the sunfish autobailer looks identical and is $20 cheaper. Has anyone tried using one of these?