October 27, 2017
Steadfast 3
Friday
I started the day by leveling the boat side to side, which I’d require later in the process when I was ready to strike the new waterline. On deck, I used a 4′ level in various places, also placing the level on a pair of long straightedges that I spanned from side to side over wider distances at the bow and cockpit. Initially, the boat was close to level, but needed some adjustment.
After some time adjusting the stands–this one was a bit fussy to get both bow and stern leveled together–I achieved satisfactory results on both levels and called it good.
The pilothouse door was painted the same color as the hull, and to prepare for painting it anew I decided to remove it, which appeared to be a simple matter of removing trim top and bottom, which I did, and which released the door without issue. This also meant that I could refinish those pieces of door trim down at shop level.
After setting up cords and tools, I got to work with heat gun and scraper to remove the old finish from the caprails. The old finish was heavy in some areas, lighter in others (where it’d apparently failed and been spot-refinished over the years), and loose and flaky in other areas. The teak beneath was in good condition and had held up well despite it all.
During the remainder of the day, I worked my way from the starboard transom, forward around the stem, and back down the port side, finishing up just in time to wrap up the day.
Total time billed on this job today: 6.25 hours
0600 Weather Observation: 44°, clear. Forecast for the day: sunny, high 50s