As we get toward the home stretch, the project evolves more and more to a litany of little items, as opposed to a few monolithic tasks. Here’s what we’ve been doing.
First off, we finished the carpentry on the coverboards and got four coats of AwlSpar on them. They’re now sitting, waiting for the varnish to cure enough that we can start with the AwlBrite. That’s 3 days in good weather, but it’s cold and rainy here right now which means it’s likely to be more like a week. But I took photos!
Next up, we routed channels in the hardtop and set in fiberglass tubes for cable runs, and wood blocks for hard points. This is all cured now and we’ll be putting the top sheet of glass on tomorrow. The heavy things are holding the tubing down – especially important in the curves.
And finally, we’ve been working on fairing the console. Nothing worth looking at photo-wise there, but it’s a giant sanding PITA.
Also in the “sanding and fairing” bucket is that I’ve been cleaning up the sheer line to get it ready for primer, as well as fairing the forward gunnel/deck. Much of this area will be painted non-skid so it won’t show minor fairing imperfections as much as the glossy bits, but it still needs to be tended to. The sheer line is now pretty much done with the exception of a few small pinholes to fill before a first coat of primer. The gunnel still needs work.
I’ve decided to cap the motorwell in polished stainless not teak, so I sent a cut file off to the waterjet place to make the U-shaped part. While I was at it, I figured I’d have some other parts made including some caps for cable outlets on the hard top, a backing plate for the VHF antenna, and – because I’m ridiculous – come custom drain grates for the scuppers. I’ll show those off at some point down the road, but I’m happy I did it.Next on the docket: Lots of fairing on the console / roof / gunnel / motorwell, and then some primer and paint around the fuel filler. Then I can install the fuel system before the inwales go in, which will be simpler.
Lots to do, but at least there’s variety and fun in it!
-Ben