November 2, 2021

Skeedeen Phase 7-5

Tuesday

Pleased with the second planned maintenance coat of varnish on the windshield, handrails, engine box, companionway trim, and other areas on the boat, I removed the masking tape and cleaned up the inevitable small varnish boo-boos on some of the adjacent surfaces.  I planned to leave things as is for another day before thinking about any reassembly or reinstallation of hardware, to give the fresh varnish ample cure time.

The first side of the two-sided hatches from the companionway were complete and had had enough cure time so that I could turn them over and finalize the prep work on the opposite (in this case the “money side”, or most exposed side in the finished product) before applying the first of the two planned maintenance coats of varnish here.

The end of this project was quickly approaching, and to prepare for my needs over the next couple days, I pulled the new winter cover frame I’d built a year ago from storage, and prepared the pieces for assembly next time, once I felt the varnish had cured to a safe stage.  This would allow Jason, the canvas guy, to return shortly thereafter with the custom cover he’d patterned and built a year ago, for its first actual fitting before the boat was ready to head outside.    This would be a temporary installation, since the owner’s mechanic would need access to the boat a few days hence to perform his own annual maintenance and winterizing chores, at which time the boat would move outdoors and I could finish up the cover installation permanently.

Total time billed on this job today:  4.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  Fair, 35°.  Forecast for the day:  Mainly sunny, 51°