January 20, 2025

PT11-57

Monday

I applied the 4th coat of varnish to the tiller and tiller extension, continuing the daily buildup.

The coatings on both hull halves had had ample cure time, and I spent part of the afternoon sanding to prepare the surfaces for topcoats and final painting.  The primer on the aft hull half sanded easily and well, leaving a silky and consistent surface that would be ready for topcoats after final preparations.  Although the coating was thin in some areas, the primer had done its job and would be an excellent substrate for the gloss topcoats and nonskid that would finish off the aft hull.

The forward hull half, which had mistakenly received a coat of white topcoat rather than primer, turned out well despite the error.  I sanded the finish just as I had on the aft hull, with 220 grit paper on a small sanding block and by hand in the corners and tight areas, and the net result was a well-prepared surface ready for additional coats of topcoat as needed.

Next in the order of things I planned to inspect all areas for any places that might need some fine-tuning (sanding or minor fill work), and then mask off future nonskid areas to prepare for the final gloss topcoats on the remaining surfaces of both hulls.

Total time billed on this job today: 2 hours