November 30, 2021

Arietta Phase 2-18

Tuesday

With 220 grit, working by machine and hand as necessary, I sanded the fresh high-build primer on the decks till it was flat and smooth.

Afterwards, I vacuumed the dust and solvent-washed the decks to prepare for the next steps.

I examined the deck thoroughly, using a strong light held at a close angle for assistance, and marked with a hard pencil any low spots, areas requiring additional sanding, pinholes, and other flaws in the surface, which the high-build had by nature and design highlighted.    Once I was satisfied that I’d found all the areas requiring additional attention, I applied gray epoxy fine filling compound as needed, troweling it in to all the pinholes, scratches, and other small voids that only became apparent once the primer was on.

At the transitions outboard of the coamings on each side, where I’d stopped the poop deck painting a year before during the cockpit phase of the project, I removed some of the masking and moved the line further aft, exposing some of the gloss paint on the deck edges.  Then, I sanded this smooth and flat, and eased the hard line where the new primer met the paint, before troweling in a bit of the fine filler to help ease the transition further.    Later, I’d apply the finish primer to the new line, easing further the transition point and leaving enough room for the topcoat to run 1″ further aft to meet the nonskid line at the poop deck to minimize any tape lines that would later need blending.

Total time billed on this job today:  7 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  18°, clear.  Forecast for the day:  Sunny, 34°