1 Step Forward, 18 Steps Back

Got it all primed on the topside, and it looks slick in a picture. Problem is that it there is still another round of fairing to be done. So I have since gone back and started filling, and now it looks rough again with blue streaks of fairing compound all over it. Soon enough I will seal it all up though.

And it continues...

Topside Fairing

Flipped the boat right side up and started fairing. I used a fairing compound I got from US composites along with the US Composites epoxy. This epoxy is actually really good for fairing because it is already kind of thick.

I mixed it up and poured it over the various sections of the boat. Once it cures I just sand it down with the polisher with 36 grit, and then move on down to about 80 grit at the end. It sands pretty easy, and spreads nicely over the glass, filling the weave.

I got Robert to help me sand it, and this day was tough for both of us. It was a lot of work, and a lot of glass particles down the shorts and all over.

Carp Fishing

I took my dad along with me to go after carp on the fly rod. I thought it would be a good way to get him into fly fishing--to catch a few 5 lb fish on the fly rod. It wasn't easy though. In fact, it was quite challenging. We were sight casting to them in about 2 feet of water with little bead head nyphs and wooly boogers. You had to drop the fly right on the fish's head to trigger a strike. We went ona  lake near Gastonia with Capt. Paul Rose: http://www.carolinabonefishing.com/

Primer Coat

The hull has now been sprayed with Interlux Primer paint. It looks damn good, but needs a touch more fairing before the final coat can go on. Robert and I got it pretty fair over the past couple of weeks so that is really going to save on time and material as I move forward. Here she is:

Bonnetheads

Since I had a little down time I also took the liberty of going out fishing a couple days. Went with a buddy of mine, and we pounded the Bonnetheads in one of the creeks behind Wrightsville Beach. Found some stacked in a creek in the Masonboro area, and so we caught some small blue crabs and put them on #9 circle hooks. They couldn't resist those crabs, and it only took a couple minutes to get a bite. Caught on medium heavy inshore tackle, and 14 pound test line. We stopped just because we were tired of slinging them into the boat. Pretty fun time.

Center Console

Been kind of on hold, as I need Beau's help to spray the hull. In the interim I finished up the center console. This consisted of cutting a slick sheet (gel coat and fiberglass sheets) into the shape of each of the faces of the center console. Then I just basically epoxt the sheets to the substrate. Have to lay a board over it with some weight on top in order to get a fairly smooth surface. Sure saves on fairing time, but I was surprised at the amount of weight it adds. Center console is probably 30% heavier now that it has been slick sheeted.

Here's a little step by step on the console construction:

Built the plug out of wood

Then here it is after I foamed it, and pulled it off the plug.

This is what it looks like now after slick sheeting it all, and sanding all edges to round everything off.

I also faired out the substrate that goes on top of the poling platform. Used a fairing compound from US Composites, and was pretty pleased with the results. It smoothed itself out easily, and sanded nicely.

More Fairing

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend. Kendell and I opted to stay in town, so I was able to spend another couple days in the boat shop. I am fortunate to have the help of a guy who lives here in Wilmington to assist in fairing. His name is Robert, and the guy is both a really hard worker, and someone who picks things up quickly. He has been a really great help, and I got him to help me both days that I worked on the boat this weekend. Between the two of us we put in just shy of 20 hours of sanding in this weekend.
Here are a couple pictures of Robert and I in the boat shop: