Painting Topsides

After changing my mind about a colour scheme more times than I can remember, you can now see what I settled on.

It took some planning to have time available for re coating and masking within the recommended time frames. It is a two part paint system which I applied with a roller and brush tip off. I have not put top coat on areas of the deck which are yet to have non skid paint applied. Overall the job of painting is quite rewarding as after all the hours of prep, a short time spent painting and the hull suddenly looks almost finished!

Finding the waterline

It doesn't take long before one gets sick of sanding so that's when you realise you're not building a super yacht, so just start painting already. I guess I should choose a colour.

Here is a shot showing the laser level lighting up where the water line is.

Here is the bottle jack being used to lift the bow so I can place more wood under the forward support to level it up.

Then mask along waterline and apply primer.
What colour will it be? Not long now.

Sliding Hatch

I have been working on the sliding hatch as I want to get all items ready for painting at the same time as the hull.

In this photo you can see how I am enlarging the piece I cut out of the cabin top. This way it has the same curve as the cabin and will have the necessary overhang to mount the sliding rails to.

Then, glue the rails onto the cabin and check hatch for fit.

 

Making a leak guard. I might end up needing more than this but will do for now.

Here is the hatch almost ready for painting. It has been fibreglassed in the same way as the rest of the boat. You can just see the rails glued on the underside of the hatch. I will use plastic or vinyl strips on the sliding surface to make the action smooth. I also will add mahogany trim to the front at a later stage.