August 29, 2018
Dory 11
Wednesday
Now that the two-part epoxy primer had cured overnight, I could continue with final preparations before the regular one-part primer that I planned to use over the entire boat.
Before priming, I decided to mask off a waterline, as I planned to paint the bottom for looks, contrast, and function. Not knowing exactly where the boat would float, but having observed other dories over the years and thus with a general idea how the boat should float, I chose to strike a line from just barely above the knuckle at the stem and run it straight aft from there.
First, I leveled the boat fore and aft; I had to lift the bow several inches before the bottom was approximately level, not only according to the tool but also to the logical eyeball. Then, I measured from the floor (smooth concrete and level enough for this purpose) to the point on the bow (12″), and made up a quick guide block of the same dimension. I used this block and a pencil all around the boat to mark the new waterline in all areas, 12″ up from the floor, creating a level line around the boat. I masked below the marks, and was ready for primer.
I chose a one-part primer from a small company that produces traditional paints for traditional boats–I also selected two of their topcoat enamels for the finish coats–and painted the entire boat inside and out. Despite the sundry shortfalls of my overall execution throughout the painting preparations, the new primer made an immediate difference to the feel and appearance of the dory, and it felt great to be making visual rather than structural progress on the boat.
Total time on this job today: 2.5 hours