Epoxy evening with fakir bed and Duchamp

Not my favourite activity but the time has come to cover the new cockpit structure with epoxy. Since I wanted to do it on all six sides at the same time I needed a way to support the components while epoxy cures.

Fakir bed is a proper way of doing it so I’ve made it from scrap cardboard and many wood screws embedded in it. This way each component is supported above the floor with only four pointy supports, resulting in uniform glue spread and no gaps in epoxy coat.

To be sure that wood is indeed fully encapsulated I applied 2 layers of epoxy, wet-on-wet method. This way one can also avoid amine blush and necessity to wash components after each coat. Not to mention sanding, for mechanical grip between the coats. By doing it wet-on-wet I get chemical binding between the coats - basically single but very thick coat as a result.

Good video guide from WEST Epoxy describing this method is here.

The only problem is that one needs to reserve several hours for doing it this way. The first coat needs to kick off and start to cure to “tacky” state before the second coat can be applied. In my conditions, with 207 Hardener, it took 2 hours before the first coat was still sticky but not leaving residue in gloves (“tacky state”). Then the second coat followed. I ended up being done long after midnight so I just slid the whole fakir bed under my bed and went to sleep.

While waiting for epoxy “tackiness” I coated the final varnish layer on floor timber #3. Once it cures I can install it on Meritaten and finally drive the third keel bolt home where it belongs.
The floor timber end grain is coated with epoxy. The bottom part of the timber is covered with two layers of iron oxide - järnmönja - traditional way of protecting wood from moisture. It replaces toxic (and prohibited in Sweden) lead-based mönja. My boat was covered with this old paint on the outside and there is still some parts of the bilge, outside living quarters, which bear this paint.
The good thing with lead paint was that it kills everything and perfectly preserves wood.
The bad thing is that my crew and me are included in “everything” so when doing bilge renovation in the main cabin last year I’ve removed this paint and now it is safe with iron oxide paint.

Lennart has kindly given me his perfectly functioning marine toilet - as he replaces it with more advanced model. I’ve checked on my boat that it fits so I took the unit home, dis-assembled and cleaned all parts. It’s brand new now and shines on the table like Duchamp’s fountain!

So next steps are now to start repairing broken frames on the the whole boat, before I put back the engine and re-build new cockpit floor.
Some additional repairs in the mean-time: bronze rods substituting old galvanised steel rods holding main sail track, installing third keel bolt and banging lead plugs, priming and painting the bottom of Meritaten and… probably some more things which usually pop-up.
Then it’s only yearly sanding, vacuuming and varnishing of the whole hull and we can book a doping party!