Wednesday

I continued the layout for the final masking on the port side, working aft from the bow to mark the deck the way I’d done at the stern earlier.  Once I had my series of marks, I applied the masking tape along both lines, fairing the curve by eye as needed.

Then, I completed the same on the starboard side, starting on the quarter then moving forward to the bow.

Afterwards, I filled in the field areas with masking paper and tape to protect against overspray, which completed the deck taping.

Along the hull-deck joint, I applied a length of plastic sheeting to protect the hull during the deck work, securing it with masking tape to the outer line of tape I’d laid on the decks.

I spent the remains of the day on various final preparations, including vacuuming and solvent-washing the deck areas to be painted, preparing paint and spray equipment, and all the other small items leading up to a final state of readiness for the deck topcoats.

Total time billed on this job today:  5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  32°, clear. Forecast for the day:  Sunny, 48°

Tuesday

I had only a couple short hours for shop work in the morning, as I had to depart for an appointment and also to pick up the pallet of plastic “lumber” that I’d ordered for the deck trim according to the owner’s wishes, and which had arrived at a local shipping depot a few days earlier.  This errand and other, unrelated stops kept me out of the shop for the bulk of the day.

I temporarily set the two cockpit locker lids in place so I could align the masking at the inboard edges with the existing borders on each side.

From there, I masked off the remainders of the hatches and covered the field areas with paper.  Here, as on the adjacent deck borders, I used a 3/4″ border width on the hatch so that the total border area around each hatch seam would total 1-1/2″ and be visually consistent with the other deck borders.  While I was at it, I slightly changed the way I’d masked off the cockpit outboard of the hatches, running the tape continuously through the narrowest part of the area rather than leaving a gap as I had originally.  Similarly, I also massaged the masking around the compass recess at the forward end of the cockpit, bringing the end result more in keeping with my general masking conventions.

At the lazarette hatch in the poop deck, I temporarily installed the new hatch cover so I could mark my borders from its outside edge, then masked off the area and the hatch accordingly.  After returning the three deck hatches to their table on the shop floor, I finished up by masking the companionway hatch.

Starting on the port sidedeck, I marked my border along the cabin trunk and coaming, and masked along these lines to define the inboard edge of the deck.

At the outboard edge, I needed to create a similar border and also mark an edge against which I’d mask off the hull during the deck work, and coming up with the plan for this masking was a bit more of a challenge.  The key factors I had to consider here included the width of the as-yet nonexistent new  toerail, plus the seamless rounded profile of the hull/deck joint, with its variable geometry thanks to the flare of the hull (forward) and tumblehome (aft).

The toerail width was more or less unalterably determined by the space outboard of the winch islands, through which space the rail would need to pass cleanly.  I thought I’d reserved a section or two of the original toerail, but they were either hiding or I’d thrown them out in a fit of pique during one cleaning binge or another.   However, it seemed pretty clear that the available space, allowing for a reveal at the outer edge and just enough space on the inside, was about 1″, same as my steel rule as shown below.   Reviewing photos from the boat’s disassembly, I confirmed that that original rail also fit in the same space, and was approximately 1″ wide.

Now I had to translate this into some consistent and workable method of marking and masking the border, which I wanted at 1-1/2″ inside the finished toerail to remain consistent with the other deck borders.  Here, the hull shape worked against me, as I tried one or two marking blocks cut to a specific length to try and align and make the marks, but I found the results inconsistent and unworkable, so in the end, I relied on an eyeball approach, which netted the results I wanted more quickly, easily, and accurately than the other things I’d tried.  For these initial steps, I was working on the port quarter, a relatively short and defined section tailor-made for experimentation, but also where the most difficult shapes were in play thanks to the significant tumblehome there.

Using the steel rule as an analog for the toerail, I placed it on deck where I thought it should be (i.e. a certain visual distance inboard of the hull/deck roundover), and made a couple reference marks.   I made the first mark at the center of the rule’s width (i.e. the center of the toerail), and this was made easy since the steel rule featured a notch down the center.  This mark would represent the inside edge of the tape line I’d install to cover the hull against overspray and demark the hull and deck paint.

Using another, smaller steel rule, I made the second mark 1-1/2″ in from the inside edge of the “toerail”, and this mark defined the line against which I’d mask for the deck edge border, or channel.  I repeated this marking process ever few inches along the four-or five-foot length of the hull where I was working, from the winch island aft to the transom.  Then, I masked to the line, fairing the tape by eye as needed.  This ultimately created the clean, fair line that I wanted and needed inboard of the eventual toerail.

Next, I could mask to the outboard marks, leaving the tape on the hull side of these marks.

Flush with success, I repeated the marking and masking process across the curvy transom, validating the methodology in the process.

Now that I had the basic method worked out, marking the remainder of the deck edges would go more quickly, and I looked forward to finishing that up next time, but for now I had to head out for appointments,  and boat-related and unrelated errands.

Total time billed on this job today:  5  hours

0600 Weather Observation:  45°, cloudy. Forecast for the day:  Clouds and showers, 52°

Monday

Now that the primer sanding was complete, my next task was to clean up the boat and shop.  I went through the usual motions to thoroughly blow down and sweep the shop and boat, which I followed by rinsing off the floor and staging and other surfaces to calm any remaining dust before thoroughly vacuuming the hull and deck and then solvent-washing both as well.

With the deck clean and dry, I began the process of masking off for the gloss topcoats.  Starting on the coachroof, I marked and masked a 1-1/2″ border around the edges, including the companionway and forward hatch, and masked to the lines, then covered the field areas (which would eventually be nonskid) with paper to protect against overspray and also give me places to lean, support, and kneel as needed during the final painting.

I continued in the cockpit and similarly marked and masked all areas as needed.  I was out of time for now, but would continue the masking and other prep work next time.

Total time billed on this job today:  7.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  25°, clear. Forecast for the day:  Sunny, 49°

Saturday

In a short work session, I finished up the sanding on the port decks, and also the four loose hatches currently underway.

Later, I removed the bolts securing the spreader base hardware to the mast–two upper bolts, plus a large bolt below that also secured the tangs for the lower shrouds.  The base featured one of those confining designs where every bolt interfered with an adjacent one, or the hardware itself, to prevent easy use of tools that might actually be able to grip the nuts and bolt heads, so by removing the base I eliminated most of the impediments.  Astute readers may recall that the port spreader had been repaired at some point in the past, but the stub was galvanically welded to the base and unremovable during the rigger’s visit earlier.  I’d been soaking these bolts and environs with penetrating solvent for a week or two, and with the unit now clamped in a vise and the bolts accessible with sockets, I could break them free and remove them with difficulty, fighting for every thread.  I planned to send the little insert to the rigger to go along with the main part of the spreader so the butt end could be properly repaired to match the original spreader on the opposite side.

Total time billed on this job today:  2.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  32°, clear.   Forecast for the day:  Sunny, 49°

Friday

With the staging still down at hull height, I began sanding the fresh primer in the cockpit (I like to start with the “worst” areas), sanding all surfaces smooth with 320 grit paper by machine and hand as needed, then moved up to the expansive coachroof to continue the work.

Next, I moved down to ground level and began sanding the hull at the counter and transom, eventually working my way up the port side then back down the starboard to complete the hull sanding.

Now, I moved the staging back to deck height, and, starting at the stem, sanded the starboard foredeck, sidedeck, cabin trunk, coaming, and poop deck, including the port side as far forward as the winch island.  It would have been nice to finish up the sanding on the port deck, but alas, that would have to wait for next time.

Total time billed on this job today:  8.25 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  68° (!), windy, cloudy, and showery.  Forecast for the day:  Showers, drizzle, fog, then clearing and windy, dropping through the day to 49°

Thursday

Before I could start the hull primer, I had to reset the staging to hull height, and once the planks were reconfigured I added a strip of masking paper just below the waterline (which was still masked off from the high-build primer) to protect the bottom against overspray.  Then, I tacked off the hull.

With preparations complete, I spent the remainder of the day applying four coats of the Alexseal epoxy finish primer, sticking with white since the hull would be painted a light color.  I went with four coats to provide good coverage over parts of the hull/deck joint, which was fairly dark even beneath the high-build.

Total time billed on this job today:  4.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  58°, cloudy and fog/drizzle . Forecast for the day:  Rain and patchy fog, 64°

Wednesday

Over the course of several elapsed hours, I applied three coats of epoxy-based finish primer to all deck areas, beginning with the inboard areas of the coachroof, cockpit, and companionway.  Once I had three coats on those sections, I removed the paper I’d had in place to walk upon, then sprayed the three coats on the remaining areas to complete the job.

Total time billed on this job today:  6 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  51°, cloudy and fog/drizzle . Forecast for the day:  Drizzle and patchy fog, cloudy, 60°

Tuesday

I began once more with the winch islands, where I sanded the fresh high-build primer I’d applied the day before, completing the construction and bringing the winch islands to a state of readiness matching the adjacent decks.

I spent the remainder of the day working on all the final steps required before primer, starting with a thorough vacuum and then an initial solvent wash of the decks and hull.

Next, I rewashed all surfaces with the paint system’s proprietary solvent, then covered various areas of the deck with masking paper to allow me to stand, kneel, or lean on these sections to reach the innermost portions of the deck, such as the coachroof and companionway and cockpit well, which sections I’d spray first before moving outboard to the remaining deck areas.  I also masked along the top of the hull to protect against overspray from the deck, choosing an arbitrary starting point for the masking that would allow the hull primer to overlap the deck primer when I applied it a day after.

Meanwhile, I prepared paint and paint equipment and the sundry chores left on my final list.

Total time billed on this job today:  6.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  46°, mainly cloudy . Forecast for the day:  Drizzle and patchy fog, 53°

Monday

Over the weekend, I completed two additional rounds of minor fairing and shaping for the winch islands.  This significantly advanced the progress so I could keep to my self-imposed schedule for primer.

First round (sanding then filler):

Second round (sanding then filler, concentrating on the edge fillets and low spots):

Now, I sanded the final round of filler, this time with finish-sanding equipment and by hand to complete the shaping of the various fillets and ending up with 120 grit, the final grit required before high-build primer.  At this stage, the new islands were looking pretty good, but I’d reassess after I’d spot-primed the new assemblies and take care of any minor fairing required at that time.

First, though, with the major work on the winch islands complete, I worked on cleaning up the shop and the boat, blowing down all surfaces and rinsing the floor and staging to settle the remaining dust.  Then, I masked over the final openings on deck, including the companionway and the cockpit lockers, to prepare these areas for finish primer later in the week.  There’d be one final round of cleaning and prep required between now and then, but that would wait till I’d primed and sanded the winch islands.

Towards the end of the day, I masked off around the winch islands to prevent unwanted overspray and, after final preparations, applied several coats of high-build primer with a small sprayer.  In between coats and afterwards, while staying out of the main shop as much as possible to avoid paint fumes, I moved forward with additional preparations for the paint sessions to come.

Total time billed on this job today:  9 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  45°, drizzle . Forecast for the day:  Clouds and drizzle with a chance of rain, 51°

Friday

I began with a light sanding for the winch islands, which prepared them for the next steps.

The initial layer of fairing compound left sundry voids in the surface, and to fill and smooth these and provide the best substrate for the fiberglass cloth, I applied  a skim coat of silica-thickened epoxy over the surface, which I left for just a little while to begin to cure before proceeding.

I wet out and applied a layer of biaxial fiberglass over the outer edge of the rebuild islands, less as a structural matter than as a means of ensuring better final cosmetics immediately and in years to come, though the fiberglass did tie together the original base with the new extension.

Leaving the new fiberglass to cure to a green state during the rest of the day, I continued picking away at the final deck preparation tasks, starting with some basic cleanup in the cockpit area and nearby.  During interior construction, I’d covered the cockpit areas with some paper to protect the areas I was constantly trodding upon as I climbed in and out of the boat 37 times a day, but now this paper and masking tape had to go, and even with it, there were inevitably little drips of varnish, or epoxy, or what have you here and there that I cleaned up with sandpaper as needed, leaving behind a clean surface ready for the final-final cleanup that would occur as soon as I completed construction work on the winch islands.  I also sanded smooth some filler that I’d apparently applied in one of the cockpit locker gutters long before, but had forgotten about.

By early afternoon, the new fiberglass had cured sufficiently that I could, with care and using a plastic squeegee to avoid snagging the cloth with a firm metal edge, apply a layer of fairing compound over the new cloth, to start filling the weave and to clean up the boundaries of the cloth top and bottom and at the forward and after corners of the winch islands.

Striving to make progress elsewhere while the islands kept me at a staid pace on the deck work, I removed the hardware from the original bow platform, much of which hardware would be reused when I built a new platform sometime in the relatively foreseeable future.

The new propeller shaft, which I’d ordered a little while ago using measurements I’d made at the end of the last phase of work, arrived now, and as always I was relieved to find that it matched my notes and required measurements:  that is, that the overall length of the shaft itself was 31-3/4″, otherwise known as 2″ longer than my prototype fiberglass tube that I’d used to make the original measurements.

Total time billed on this job today:  5.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  40°, cloudy. Forecast for the day:  Partly sunny, 57°