110 Cookson Lane | Whitefield, ME 04353 | 207-232-7600 | tim@lackeysailing.com
With the deck spraying complete, my first task was to remove the masking tape, paper, and plastic from all deck areas.
The next job on the short list remaining before the project went on hiatus was to complete the hull paint. It was too soon to mask over the new deck paint--I preferred to wait a full day and then some--so I took advantage of the time to strike and lay out the top edge of the boottop.
Earlier, before initial hull priming six or so weeks ago, I'd struck a new "waterline"--that is, the top edge of the antifouling paint. I primed down to this line with both high build and finish primers, but with the topcoats next in line I needed to strike the top edge of the boottop to demark the lower edge of the final hull color. With the boat still in the same position as during the earlier waterline striking, and still properly leveled in both directions, it'd be straightforward to strike the new line.
I temporarily dismantled the staging and set up my usual level, athwartship boards for the process. After some measuring and a brief mockup, I determined that a visual width of 2-1/4" was appropriate for the boottop, given the low topsides and general proportions of the boat. So I set up my striking boards 2-1/4" higher than the existing waterline mark (still masked off from the primer).
Once the setup was complete, I struck and marked the line in the usual way, then masked off the line so that the top edge of the tape represented the top edge of the boottop. At the bow, I chose to slightly sheer the stripe, making it grow a bit wider towards the stem from a known and consistent point some feet aft on the hull. This sheering was minimal and wouldn't be noticeable as such except that the boottop would look "right". Or so I hoped, anyway.
After completing the taping, I installed a length of masking paper beneath the tape to cover the boottop area against hull overspray.
I moved the staging back into position and made preparations for taping and covering the decks in the morning.
Total Time Billed on This Job Today: 6.25 hours
