As with other stages of this boat building project, I quickly have fallen into a comfortable routine with the application of the topside varnish. After the coat on Sunday, the boat was allowed to dry for about 24 hours. Then last night I gave it a good sanding. This was my first attempt at wet sanding, using some 320-grit paper (made in Finland- not the horrible cheap stuff from India I have been using) and keeping a wet surface, I was really surprised how well things looked after the quick sanding session. Then this morning before work, I applied the third coat of Interlux Schooner varnish. A nice gloss is starting to develop, as well as a little depth in the varnish layer. Tomorrow evening, the cycle starts again for coat 4.I also received my registration stickers from the Decal Zone. Very quick service, and the vinyl registration numbers look great. Total Hours 94.00.
The process of bonding scarf joints is coming to a close. The final pair of side planks was epoxied this morning, and tomorrow I will do the bottom panel of the hull, which is a bigger job, and the alignment may be a little more complicated. After that, a laborious process of coating each piece of lumber with epoxy begins. Two coats on each strake, bulkhead, transom, and seat panel are needed to give the wood parts total waterproof-ness. A big part of the job will be sanding between each coat. This is necessary to produce a smooth finish when the assembled boat is painted and varnished. According to the kit instructions, the dust from sanding can be irritating, and the silica can be detrimental to health. So with a respirator to protect against dust, and a headset to cut the drone of the sander, I am ready to soon enter the next phase of boat building. Total hours 4.00.