WEST SYSTEM: A Sailors Life Travelling With Rob Storrar
We’re excited to share Storrar Marine’s latest article from their newsletter and give an insight into owner Rob’s trip’s away. Find out what Rob takes with him on his travels which always come in handy when out on the water.
WEST SYSTEM 105 Epoxy Resin® with 205 Fast Hardener® was used extensively back in 2009 when we commenced the fitting out of Hindsight starting with laminating deck beams, gluing bulkheads to the GRP hull etc etc. For the interior, we wanted to give it a traditional ‘warm’ feel in keeping with its classic lines. The factory built Mysteries do have some wood trim but in my humble opinion not enough. They do have wood around the galley area and bookshelves; however we went a bit further opting for a varnished wood headline and also on the interior of the coach roof (which is GRP) we vacuum bonded a mahogany veneer to the sides using, of course, West. Up in the bow area I also tried to create a ‘warm effect’ by using wood. And in keeping with what I considered to be a traditional interior, I decided against installing a Jabsco toilet (would have liked a Baby Blakes but at almost £5700 a pop I could have bought the mast) so I went for a German manufactured Rheinstrom with a similar classic look to the former. Expensive compared to the Jabsco but for peanuts compared to the Blakes!
The Rheinstrom is manufactured from metal with a china bowl and to keep it looking traditional we bonded a wood handle to the stainless pump lever handle using G/flex, dispensed with the white plastic lid supplied and laminated one again in wood, the seat was also made from wood which, when I sit on it with my delicate backside, brings a ‘warm fiush’ to my cheeks. Too much information?
However when I ‘wintered’ the boat just before Covid struck, I didn’t have the foresight to disassemble the pump so when I came out next I found the piston seized solid in the cylinder housing. Panic stations as we were launching next day meant desperate measures, WD40 Specialist Fast Release Agent, which up til now had never let me down! Nor boiling water would do the trick and shift it, so I unbolted the cylinder, placed on block of wood then with brute strength ie a large hammer ‘brayed’ the shaft and attached piston. Eventually we got it free, however at the expense of the shaft parting company with the polypropylene (or whatever plastic its made from) piston. Of course there were no Rheinstrom spares in Greece so it was to G/flex that we turned. Heat treat the plastic surface, then abrade, degrease with acetone, then mix a small quantity of G/flex add WEST SYSTEM Colloidal Silica, mix to the consistency of peanut butter and apply. Next day we reassembled and two seasons on it’s still holding firm!
When we moved house some seventeen years ago the kitchen was tiny and of an early nineties style. It was soon ripped out on the instructions of Jenny and then when the new all singing/dancing one was installed it came complete with a built in fridge. Six years down the road the door shelf failed, possibly the weight of the milk containers contributed to its demise. Jen sourced a replacement shelf and five years later that failed. No problem, new sourced and fitted. However, last June another failure and guess what that model fridge has been discontinued and the spare shelf likewise! ~ Duct Tape offered a quick temporary fix however after returning from Greece late October it was a case of ‘get out the G/flex syringe, same procedure, heat treat the surface, abrade, degrease and stick together to make the shelf milk container proof, I further strengthened by reinforcing with WEST SYSTEM Glass Tapes both inside and out using, one again, this brilliant product. To keep Jen even more happy I then applied two coats of Hempel multicoat. Job done and a happy missus!
Boss man Andy has been threatening to repair the plastic water bottle out of his mouse cage, that’s if he can find it, regret no images of that. But if you are having a poor day click onto the link below and see how you can glue together a plastic canoe that was sawn in half after the owner had a hissy fit!
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G/flex 655-1 is great for on the travel, so if you have any trips this year, be sure to keep one on board because you never know when it’ll come in handy. You can order online here.
