February 16, 2023

Further 47

Thursday

I finished up the sanding around the companionway, all by hand and focusing on the rails and areas that had been covered by the hatch (which I’d kept in place for the duration of the deck work to protect the interior).  With the sanding complete to match the rest of the decks, I cleaned up and masked off the companionway for painting.

Next, I went around with a 1/8″ drill bit and drilled pilot holes (only a short way into the decks) at the various hardware locations where I’d marked earlier.  At some locations, where the positioning of the hardware would be self-evident, I drilled a single hole for basic alignment purposes; other locations required more holes to ensure proper alignment.  In any event, these holes were for location purpose only and not necessarily the absolute final position of the hardware holes themselves.  (In other words, one shouldn’t use them to drill actual fastener holes without placing the hardware in position first).

After a final vacuum over the decks, I solvent-washed again with the manufacturer’s proprietary solvent designed for the purpose.

Meanwhile, I prepared spray equipment and painting supplies and the myriad other tasks required to get ready for the next few weeks of priming and painting, along with some additional deck and staging preparations so I could walk and kneel on the decks as required in order to reach the inboard portions of the cockpit (particularly the well) and the coachroof during the first stage of priming.

Total time billed on this job today: 5 hours

0600 Weather Observation: Clear, 39°, dew point 36°. Forecast for the day: Increasing clouds, 54°