The Spring Calendar

[Figment]

I'm trying to decide if I should pull the trigger on this topsides paint job, or let it go for another year.

Unlike last year, my boatworking time will be limited to weekends. I'll grab the odd weekday afternoon here and there, but mostly weekends. I have eight weekends until launch day. Eight.

I'll want the paintjob to sit and cure for at least a week prior to launch. Seven.

I'm sure I'll lose at least two weekends to family stuff or work. Five.

I should probably reserve one weekend for other spring commissioning tasks. Four.

Does it seem reasonable to be able to sand, fair, prime, and paint the hull in four weekends?

[bcooke]

Tough question.

My own opinion is that when the pressure to get done starts to feel like work then it is time to do something else. I only work on my boat as long as it is fun.

That said, didn't you do a lot of fairing on your decks last year? So maybe there isn't a whole lot left before you are ready to paint?

Keep it fun.

-Britton

[Tim]

Here are two questions:

1. How much fairing and other prep work is required on your hull in order to obtain the finish you want? Is it a fairly simple sanding, minor ding filling, then prime and paint--or do you anticipate a need (or desire) to truly fair the whole area, requiring multiple applications of filler, high build and regular primers, and topcoats?

2. How much does the current condition bother you?

If you need a large amount of fairing and other prep work, I think 8 working days only might end up pushing the envelope and at a minimum risk the job's loosing its enjoyment, if not making the schedule impossible. If you truly feel you would not be overly annoyed to wait another season, then I'd suggest you concentrate on other aspects of the boat for now, and make the commitment to get the hull prepped in the fall immediately after haulout, so that come a year from now all that you need to do is apply your finish coats (one weekends' work).

8 working days is certainly a realistic time frame, depending on the condition of the hull, your own working speed and standards, your ability to take additional time out of something else if the schedule crunch really requires it, and the type of products used. I'll make the following assumptions for illustration:

• 1. Hull requires only ding repair and minor fairing, not multiple applications of filler over a widespread area to correct serious unfairness, and assuming the use of epoxy materials
  
  2. Use of finish primer only, with no need for high build, and assuming it's a primer like Pre-Kote that actually is desirable to have only a thin coating (meaning no requirement for 2 or more coats for proper coverage)
  
  3. One-part polyurethane paint finish
  
  4. You could find an additional day or two if required

Given these conditions, here's a potential schedule.

Day 1: Clean and dewax, initial rough sanding/paint removal as needed (80-120)

Day 2: Masking, mark all imperfections, grind and fill

Day 3: Sand filled areas, apply second coat as needed

Day 4: Final sand hull and filler (120-220), apply first primer coat

Day 5: Sand primer, clean boat and shop, apply first topcoat

Day 6: Sand 1st coat, clean boat and shop, apply second topcoat (and hopefully final coat)

Day 7: Boottop--mask, sand, 1st coat

Day 8: Boottop--2nd coat, and attending to other final details

With minor reshuffling, this schedule probably leaves a sort of "fudge day" for the unexpected, since the boottop work could certainly be slotted in to some other work day, or an afternoon, or some such. And you might well need that extra day somewhere--for an additional coat of filler, or because sanding takes longer than expected, or because you need more than one coat of primer, or more than 2 coats of topcoat...there are many variables, and there should always be room in the schedule (somewhere) to allow for this.

And of course, if you bring in helpers for some of the work, you can accellerate things significantely. I am assuming that you will do the work alone, at least as far as this example goes.

Britton's right: try to keep it fun. If you seriously doubt your ability to get the job done properly this year, then you're better off waiting.

[MQMurphy]

Working outside or inside? Bad weather could ixnay one or two of those days, too.

[Figment]

It's not as "inside" as I might like, but weather should have minimal impact.

OK, then I think it's time for me to get off the dime.

The topsides don't need any serious fairing There's one old repair that I'd like to improve, but for the most part it should be just spot-fairing. I think high-build primer would be worthwhile, however.

The current condition isn't really breaking my heart. My primary motivation is that it's in the shed, and I may not have that option in future years.
Well, ok, indoor storage is always an option, but it could become wildly expensive.

Well, my heart is kinda set on the gunsmoke blue. I don't know of a one-part system that has anything close to that color as an option, so I think I should just go with the real deal. rolled and tipped, of course.

Thanks for the sanity check, guys.

[Tim]

I think that committing to the high quality of Awlgrip means that you don't want to rush your prep--you need the time to do it right.

Brushing/rolling, each coat of primer requires a day (application and curing, then sanding before the next). You need at least a couple coats of high build, then a couple coats of finish primer for this system. Then three topcoats, in all liklihood.

Only you know if you have that time this spring or not! Good luck either way.