110 Cookson Lane | Whitefield, ME 04353 | 207-232-7600 | tim@lackeysailing.com
Sanding the latest application of fine filler went fairly quickly, and afterwards I deemed the hull prep work compete for now. With the staging still in place, I vacuumed and solvent-washed the hull, then moved the staging away so I could clean the shop thoroughly after weeks of sanding, and to make room for the remaining work ahead.
Before continuing, I checked the boat's position for level, and made some minor adjustments to level her side to side. Then, I marked and struck the waterline (i.e. the lowest edge of the topside paint), using my normal method working off a taut line strung between horizontal beams located at the desired level at each end of the boat; by stringing the line tangentially at the widest part of the boat, and then slowly bringing it in till it touched, inches at a time towards the ends, taping it in place and making small marks as I went, I ended up with an accurate planar line in the appropriate position. (I don't use laser levels because the shop floor isn't level or flat enough to use as a consistent datum and it's not possible to move the laser far enough away from the boat to cover a sufficient area without resetting. Anyway, I like my method, and it's extremely accurate.)
Starting with measurements I'd made before removing any paint months ago, and studying several photos of the boat to determine how she used to float relative to the old marks, I chose a new position for the line slightly higher than before.
After marking the line on both sides, I masked off and installed paper beneath the line to protect against overspray.
This all took most of the day, but to keep moving the final preparations forward, I finished up by resetting the staging at deck height, then vacuuming the decks and interior to prepare for final primer preparations there, which I'd complete next time.
Total Time on This Job Today: 8.5 hours
