Well Here goes! Pearly Miss 1

[Allymally]

Hi All, I purchased this Pearly Miss from ebay whilst making my mind up on Albatross purchase, I now have both I'm glad to say. The Albi is up and running so I felt a bit of a cheat! The pearly miss needs the works so here goes!
Collected P/m Friday from Big Dave in Norfolk quite a journey for me as I'm in Dorset. The boat trailer bearings were red rust also seized on I decided to take my car trailer all ok till half way back I pulled into supermarket car park as I had noticed the boat listing to one side one of the side rest things had dropped down simple fix but I would need somone to help push the boat up whilst I re tightened the clamp. Well a very nice chap happened to see the boat and came to see what it was etc, If I remember correctly he was also Dave. he has Albi and several Deltas from Norfolk, top guy, many thanks for your help.
After this pit stop I made it home safe and sound.
Renovation started Saturday after a good amount of sleep!
I decided to try removing the five or six layers of paint from the GRP top/ Deck with a blunt wood Chisel I had seen this method employed by a chap removing paint from a Lotus Elan years ago, he managed to get straight back to the gel coat in one go with no damage. I tried it and it worked there were some stubborn bits where the paint had better adhesion but in general it was a pretty good method. at the end of Sunday nearly all the paint was off the GRP and most of the fittings rubbing strip etc removed. more stripping to come, after a work break.

[Music Man]

We need pictures for those of us who can't read!!

Sounds really exciting good luck!

[Alacrity]

Well done! Rapier on here has done 2 Pearly Miss restorations, the first of which was a fibreglass decked deluxe like yours. And like yours he removed all the paint & took it back to its original gelcoat. Many believe (self included) that original gelcoat, even if not perfect, is far better than painted gelcoat. What are your plans for the boat, river cruising or fast work. They go very well with a twin cyl Merc 40hp on them & handle a chop very well.

[Allymally]

Hello again, I did try to put pics in before but I didn't realize there was a size limit OK now though.
I have never owned a boat before I guess I will use it at your meets and a bit of sea fishing. I do want it to go Quickish, All the very best .

[solitaire]

Congratulations - she looks like a good find, but with still plenty to do during the long winter evenings when the TV is Cr*p - see you on the water!!!

[Allymally]

Hello again, I have managed to do a bit more over the past week when the weather was ok! After striping the paint from the GRP deck I cut the surface back and polished the gel it came up pretty well, Better than I had expected.

There is damage around the edges stress cracks in the gel coat and one area at the bow which it cracked through with gel cracks all round it, it is also soft, the damage is in very nearly the same place as that on Rapiers old red P/Miss. I decided this would have to be repaired first, but before I started I would need to sort out some coloured pigment, I bought some pigment colours which when mixed together, I thought would get me near to the original colour. After some time I had a pigment colour which was a pretty good match I then though I should try the pigment in some gel with hardener, did a test peice, when cured the colour had changed quite a bit from the original I had to re adjust the colour several times before getting a reasonable match, quite a long process I could now do the bow repair! ground out the damaged bits and re glassed

.
Sanded down when cured, applied the gel left to cure then cut back the gel and polised, not bad I now have the confidence to try some of the other damaged areas.
Are, Hindsight!
Next time I will add a little colured pigment in with the glass resin. :

[Alacrity]

Good job. Well done!

[mad millie]

Well done mate on that regelling! I've just mastered the art of this on my broom and the difficult bit is definatly the colour!!!
Keep up the good work!!!!

[Rapier]

Looking really great - having done the deck on Miss Daisy I wondered if it were just good fortune...Will email you re questions, PM is full and my email playing up...once I get it working.

[Allymally]

Hello again, After quite a long work break I now have the Pearly miss in my garage. I hope to get a fair bit done this week with no interuptions! I hope.
After stripping the thick paint from the top side I came accross P/misses Name. "SILVER SPRAY" I like the name and she will stay Silver Spray, before I found her name, I had decided to name her after my grand daughter Miss Amber, all I have to hope now is that one of the other boats is unnamed.
Perhaps somebody will know my Pearly miss, She came from the broads, I would like to know if you do.The picture I have attached showing her name reminds me of one of those colour EYE tests