Altamira – Building the missing aft cabin bulkhead

Altamira is a Marine Trader double cabin trawler, 38 feet LOA, built in Taiwan ROC in 1988. We bought the boat from the original owner in 2007. The boat has some window and deck rain water leaks that I consider typical for her age and construction, but generally, quality is good, construction is suitable, and […]

Clean the Paintbrush – Clear the Air

Oil based paints, including the one-part polyurethanes, and associated thinners and reducers, correctly used, emit modest amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the air. Best practices for application of these paints will minimize but cannot eliminate these emissions – simply put, the VOC content dissipates to the atmosphere as the paint dries. One way […]

Measure and Mix Paint With a Digital Food Scale

Small quantities of liquids can be measured using graduated cups and flasks – for liquids like paints and epoxies, measuring by weight is more accurate, wastes less material, and is way less messy. An inexpensive digital food/kitchen scale and a bit of math are all that’s needed. A five pound capacity is adequate, the scale […]