Still working the Plan. I was able to finish the topsides this week and a few other things.
On Monday, I finished prepping the hull for paint by sanding with 400 grit. I then set up tarps around the boat. Primarily to avoid direct sunlight while painting and also to protect the paint from any over night dew.
Prior to painting, I washed down the hull with Interlux Fiberglass Solvent Wash. Here is the starboard side as I started the first coat on Tuesday.
This is another shot after the first coat. I decided to tackle the paint job by myself. You can see where I overlapped, which in itself proved to be a mistake. After the second coat, I realized I would need assistance on the final coat to avoid overlap.
This is after the second coat on Wednesday. While the over lap is not as visually evident, the surface was not as smooth at the over lap. This happened because as I tipped the paint, I had to come back with the next rolled on paint and overlapped where I had just tipped. In some places, it was okay, while others, there was a noticeable texture difference. I ended up sanding those areas and enlisted help to paint the third and final coat.
This is after the 3rd coat on Thursday. Hard to see the difference. Also removed the masking from the boot stripe and bottom paint.
The port side actually got a fourth coat on Friday. It was the side that we started first and there was a learning curve. I decided to tip and let my son apply the paint. It was his first time and there were too many areas where the paint was not applied evenly. After that we switched jobs, it worked a whole lot better.
Here is a shot from the front. The port lites and navigation light are just dry fit for the picture.
I decided to leave the underside the original gel coat. It is still in good shape.
A shot of the backside with the rudder housings re-installed. Also, not sure if I had posted a picture of the stern rails installed.
Close up of the rudder housing with the new stainless steel steering arm. I will end up putting some overlapping rubber on the inside of the hull to limit any water coming in, through the slot, from following seas.
Installed the mechanism on Saturday. This is the starboard side.
I decided to apply a couple coats of paint to the berth area. My goal is to eventually place foam backed headliner to the walls and PVC bead board to the roof. But I am afraid that may very likely be an on the water project. Just realized I did not paint the ceiling. This is the port forward berth area.
Here is the head
And the other side of the head. Unlike a lot of other Iroquois, which have been "rehabbed", I am trying not to paint over any of the wood.
This is the port aft berth. The new port lites on either side and the paint, sure make a big difference in making this more inviting. Still need another coat in the two aft berths.
And the starboard berth area. Need to do some more finishing up on enclosing the electrical chase.
It was a very fruitful week. In a few moments, I am off to start framing in the rear of the helm, where the electrical panel will be located.
Update:
I wanted to post a shot of the topside paint finish. Here it is:
So how do I feel about my handy work? It is definitely a DIY paint job. Not a mirror finish that I was hoping for, but for the money, I am satisfied. Part of doing this blog is to show "how to" and "how not to" do something. I don't mind showing my successes and failures. So for future reference, I used between 5 and 6 quarts of Interlux Perfection for the topside and probably about a half a quart for the boot stripe. All in all, I probably have just under $500 in materials. I am satisfied with that!
