1981 Etchells 22

As-Delivered Condition
In May 2004, I began a straightforward refinishing of a local client's 1981 Etchells sloop.  The Etchells is a beautiful, sleek, one-design class with an active local fleet.

The boat came to the shop to receive Awlgrip paint on the hull.  The hull was in fair condition to begin with, and needed only relatively minor work to prepare for painting.  There were a few areas at the hull-deck joint that required more significant repair, but even these were minor in scope.  Nonetheless, preparation is always a meticulous and exhaustive process in order to ensure the finest finish possible.

This series of photographs shows the boat in her original condition, as she arrived at the shop.  The gelcoat was in fair condition, with some staining, cracking at the hull-deck joint, and cosmetic stress cracks from the inherent flexing of the lightweight laminate.  The proposed scope of work did not include repairing all of the surface stress cracks, as the owner was looking only for a minimum freshening job with only the worst areas repaired prior to painting.

Click on each photo for a larger view.  

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