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From a Bare Hull: The Deck (Page 4)

Sheathing the Decks: Underlayment (Continued)
With two coats of gray paint applied to the panels intended for the after portion of the boat (aft of the main midships bulkhead, I decided to go ahead and install those pieces, while at the same time continuing to apply the final coats of paint to the forward sections, which required additional prepwork and a number of coats of paint to achieve the smooth finish I wanted.

After double-checking the panels' fit, I permanently installed them, one at a time. I laid down a bead of 5200 adhesive on the center of each deck beam, and on the carlins, trying to keep the bead of such a size as to minimize squeezeout beneath when the panels were installed.

Then, I carefully laid the panel into place on the beams, aligned with some reference marks I had made earlier. I secured the panels with bronze screws into the beams, pre-drilling and countersinking so the heads would remain flush. In this manner, I installed the four after panels. The other panels would have to wait for installation until the painting was complete.

Over the next several days, I continued working on the forward deck panels. Since they would be exposed in the finished boat, I wanted the beaded surface to be as smooth as possible, and with a fine paint finish. I ended up applying three finish coats of semi-gloss paint above two coats of primer, sanding between each coat. I applied the paint with a mohair roller and tipped it off with a good china bristle brush, ensuring that there was adequate thinner in the paint for good leveling.

When the third coat of paint came out smooth and with good coverage, I decided the finish was good enough for installation. Using the same basic techniques described above, I installed the final sidedeck panels and foredeck panels, completing the first layer of the decking.

The effect of the semi-gloss white beadboard over the satin-varnished mahogany deck beams was stunning, and exactly what I had envisioned. I was extremely pleased to see the end result.

Next, I continued by rolling a coat of unthickened epoxy over the entire plywood surface, to seal the wood and provide a more effective base for the next steps in the process. By sealing the raw plywood, I expected to promote good adhesion of the thickened epoxy adhesive layer I planned to use to install the second layer of plywood, this time Meranti BS 1088 marine ply.

Later, when the epoxy "hot coat" had cured, I washed the surface with water and a Scotch-Brite pad to remove any amine blush from the surface before proceeding. I dried and cleaned the surface, and was ready to proceed with the next step.

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