Wednesday

After cleaning up and putting away the spray equipment, I spent the remainder of the morning removing all the masking tape and paper from the decks, leaving the plastic sheeting in place over the hull for now to maintain protection during the next few jobs on board.  The fresh paint would require another day’s cure time before I could tape over it to prepare for the nonskid.

In the afternoon, I turned to the settee fronts.  Earlier, I’d determined that  piece of teak plywood I had on hand was just a bit too short for these fronts, but after some discussion the owner and I decided that extending the plywood slightly with glued-on solid wood would be an acceptable and preferable treatment here.  I’d originally though of adding solid wood to each end of the panel, but the owner requested that we do it all at the aft end, which was fine with me.

Using the old panels as templates, I laid out and cut the two new panels from the 1/2″ teak plywood.  The panels were approximately 2″ shorter than required, so from scrap teak I made up slightly oversized blocks to glue to the aft end of each panel.  The solid pieces were a bit thinner than the plywood, as it was what I had available in the appropriate width and the way the original panels were made the aft ends were sculped away on the back sides anyway, where they met the molded fiberglass liner, so most of any thicker material would have been removed anyway.  I didn’t have any clamps long enough to span the lengths of the panels with their extensions, so I worked out a way to clamp the wood in place atop a flat panel that I’d covered with plastic to ensure that the face was absolutely flush.  I left the glue to cure overnight, and would finish shaping and dimensioning the panels next time.

The original eyebrow trim from the cabin trunk could have been reused, as it had come off cleanly enough, though it had been sanded down enough over the years that there was no longer any depth for bungs (and all the bungs but one had been missing when I removed the trim earlier), so even before removal we had long ago decided that it made more sense in any case to simply mill new trim when the time came.

The time was now, and from some teak offcuts of appropriate size I milled two new pieces to fit.  Basing the profile off the originals, but thicker to allow room for bungs, I milled the narrow pieces about 3/4″ wide with a 10° angle on the top and 5° angle on the bottom edge, then, after cutting to length, sanded the new trim smooth and rounded over the edges.  I marked and drilled counterbores for bungs and pilot holes for fasteners, then, before leaving for the day, applied a first coat of finish to all sides of the new trim.

Total time billed on this job today:  6.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  24°, partly clear.   Forecast for the day:  Increasing clouds, then light snow likely in the afternoon, 27°

Tuesday

After final preparations, I applied three sprayed coats of snow white gloss topcoat to the prescribed deck areas.

Total time billed on this job today:  4 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  35°, partly clear.   Forecast for the day:  Increasing clouds, 36°

Monday

Starting on the coachroof, I laid out and masked off the eventual nonskid field areas, leaving borders along the various edges and around hardware installations, which the owner had requested in this case.  I used a 1-1/2″ border for the deck edges, and 1″ wide borders around the hardware (just the cabintop handrails in this case) and molded coamings like the forward hatch and companionway, where the overall visual width of the border was already wider thanks to the contours of the molded coamings.  At the aft edges of the coachroof, where I’d chosen to end the previous year’s cockpit painting work, I used some foam tape to help ease the paint transition and provide some tapered overspray I could use to blend the new and old paint as needed; later (not shown in this gallery but visible further down the page), I lightly sanded the transition between primer and “old” topcoat where necessary.

I continued on the main decks in the same way, marking off a 1-1/2″ wide border along the inside edge near the cabin trunk, and along the channels by the toerails.  This was the right width for these areas, but too wide around hardware, so I chose a 1″ wide border around all the hardware, including the bow cleat, hawsepipe, stanchions, chainplates, pulpit bases (I made a cardboard template of the bases to use in laying out the borders), and jib tracks (including the end caps).  Where the winch bases bolted to the deck, a 1″ border was far too wide, since the bases themselves were so slim at that point, so there I used a 1/2″ wide border more in keeping with the small profile of those particular pieces.

On the sea hood, I first marked where the new solar panel would eventually be installed, then, as suggested by the owner,  laid out rounded corners at the mounting locations to accommodate the eventual fasteners in gloss paint.

At the aft ends of the sidedeck, where the new work would meet last year’s work, I further extended the opening as far back as the nonskid on the poopdeck, then used foam tape at the two narrow edges to help blend the new paint in the most minimal way, and sanded the transition between year-old topcoat and new primer as needed to prepare for the fresh paint on the morrow.

Once all the edges and hardware were masked off and shaped, I filled in the field areas with masking paper and tape to prevent overspray.

To finish up the final prep for the painting ahead, I set up some additional lighting along the walls, and performed the final solvent wash of the exposed deck areas.

Total time billed on this job today:  7 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  39°, overcast.   Forecast for the day:  Showers, rain, wind, 54°

Friday

I spent the morning sanding the freshly-primed decks with 320 grit paper, by machine and hand as needed.  Once I’d sanded over all deck areas one time, I vacuumed up the dust and went around again to touch up any areas requiring more attention that the dust created by the first round of sanding had helped obscure.  There were only a few such areas, but this gave me the chance to fine-tune.

Afterwards, I cleaned up the boat and shop, vacuuming once more, then solvent-washing, then rinsing off the floor and staging to settle any remaining dust.  This left the decks clean, fair, smooth, and dust-free, ready for the next steps, which would begin with laying out and masking for the nonskid pattern.  I’d start this next time, since the fresh primer hadn’t yet cured to safe tape-dry stage.

Total time billed on this job today:   4.25 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  36°, clear, windy.  Forecast for the day:  Sunny, 34° but temperature falling throughout the day.

Thursday

After final preparations, I applied 4 coats of epoxy finish primer to the decks, spanning several elapsed hours.

It wasn’t my day for video.  My first attempt resulted in this unwelcome discovery when I retrieved the camera:

I formatted and reset the camera between coats, and tried again for the second coat, successfully recording the dramatic scene below.  However,  something happened to my final saved version of this video between 0:19 and 1:55 (frozen image,), and after some attempts I was unable (and/or unwilling and out of time to continue trying) to repair it. I decided to upload the video despite this, so just fast forward through the dead zone if you want to see the rest of the excitement.

I have legitimate respect for those people who make and post real videos.  I am not worthy, but it’s what I can do for now.  Anyway, the primer looked terrific, which is all that mattered.

Total time billed on this job today:   4 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  28°, overcast.  Forecast for the day:  Wintry mix, then rain, 48°

Wednesday

The fine fairing compound had cured overnight, and I spent part of the morning sanding it away, leaving the decks in their final condition before finish primer.  Going over the whole deck again with the sander also gave me a last opportunity to smooth any areas where small amounts of spray texture remained after the first sanding.  Ultimately, the fine filler remained only in the various small scratches, pinholes, and a few low spots as highlighted by the high-build application.

Afterwards, I blew down the shop, vacuumed and solvent-washed the decks, and washed down the staging, trailer, and floor.

I finished up the boat prep with the usual round of final solvent wash, this time with the paint manufacturer’s proprietary solvent designed for the purpose.  I set up and prepared the paint and equipment, and turned up the heat to get the shop ready for finish primer next time.

Total time billed on this job today:   4.25 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  26°, overcast.  Forecast for the day:  Mostly sunny, 42°

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°

Monday

Over the weekend, I finished up the final painting prep, spending a couple hours setting up paint and spray equipment and doing a final solvent-wash of the decks.

Now, after tacking off and mixing paint, I applied three coats of epoxy-based high-build primer to the decks and sea hood.

Total time billed on this job today:   4.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  27°, light snow.  Forecast for the day:  Gradual clearing, 35°

Tuesday

Inside the boat, I got to work removing the solid teak fiddles defining the edges of the settee berths.  For each of the dozen or so fasteners on each side, I had to remove the teak bungs, then back out the fasteners, after which the fiddles came right off.

Next, I located the four screws securing the existing plywood to the fiberglass liner–three along the bottom edge, and one at the aft edge–along with the screws through the settee top into the hardwood cleats secured behind the settee fronts.  Removing these screws released the fronts for removal, after which I removed them to the bench for inspection and removal of a couple teak cleats located on the exposed sides of the fronts.  I’d use the existing pieces as templates for their replacements as time allowed during off times during the extended painting process ahead.  The hardwood support cleats on the inside of the plywood fronts were glued in place, so I’d have to mill new ones for the replacement fronts.

Afterwards, I cleaned up the mess and drill spoils in the boat.

That was the last thing I wanted to accomplish inside the boat now, as my focus in the next couple weeks would be on priming and painting the decks.  So with no further need to go below, I could finish up the masking at the cockpit bulkhead, companionway, and cockpit.  Leaving out the top swashboard allowed me to hyperextend aft the companionway hatch, exposing the maximum amount of the deck at the leading edge.

With masking complete, I washed down the shop, staging, and trailer thoroughly to get rid of and settle any remaining dust.  I had a few more hours of paint and equipment preparation and some final deck cleaning before I’d be completely ready, which I planned to take care of throughout the upcoming holiday break so I could apply high build during the first of the week.

Total time billed on this job today:  3.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  29°, clear.  Forecast for the day:  Mostly sunny, 38°

Monday

The new scupper backing pads, as well as the liner cosmetic patch, were well-cured after the weekend, and following a light sanding I touched up the fairing compound where needed to fill pinholes and fine-tune the liner repair and fillets around the through hulls.  I used a quick-curing acrylic fine filler that allowed me to sand once more later in the day, leaving this area ready for the next steps, including primer, paint, and the seacocks’ reinstallation.

For now, though, my focus was on preparing the main decks for high build primer.  I removed the masking tape–now somewhat worn and scuffed–from the toerails and other areas where I’d applied it to protect during surface prep, then vacuumed and solvent-washed all areas to prepare for final masking.

Next, I masked as necessary for the high build primer to come, starting with the forward hatch and companionway, then the toerails, ports, cockpit coamings, and poop deck.  For now, I left the cockpit bulkhead and companionway open, so that I could continue next time with getting started on a couple projects in the cabin, but I set up and partially masked plastic sheeting that would eventually cover the cockpit, keeping it folded back at the forward end for access for the moment.

To integrate the new deck paint with the areas I’d painted during phase 1, particularly at the aft end of the sidedecks outboard of the coamings, I planned to apply the high build up to the paint line I’d left before,  then, before finish primer, extend the new work further aft, sanding and fairing in the transition at that time, so that ultimately the topcoats would blend more easily.

Total time billed on this job today:  6.25 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  51°, rain.  Forecast for the day:  Rain and showers, 52°