I am continuing the build of finish paint on Biscuit's mast, with a couple coats remaining before the reinstallation of the mast fittings. I also took the time to finalize repairs to the underside of the companionway hatch - reinforcing with a layer of 1708 biaxial cloth.

With the mast reoriented in a position to access both sides, I began to scuff the paint with 400-grit paper which created a tooth for the subsequent coat to make a good mechanical bond as well as flattening any unwanted surface irregularities. With the sanding complete, I then came back with a good solvent wipe down followed by prep of a cup of finish paint - TotalBoat Wet Edge as supplied by Biscuit's owner. The paint went on as normal, working from the mast head to the base, using a foam brush and blending into the immediately applied paint. Finished with the mast, I turned to the companionway hatch for glass work.

The companionway hatch had a piece of 1/4" plywood adhered to the underside to stiffen it, but water along the way had made its way into the outermost layer and caused some delamination. In a previous work session, I removed the flaking layers of plywood and also applied fairing compound to stabilize it and create a smooth, fair surface across the wood. In addition, I removed paint from the perimeter of the plywood and blended the edges down to a fillet-like transition (plywood to glass). Today, I sanded the remaining surface fairing work to ensure a good and smooth surface for glass, as well as further blending that fillet around the edges. With that effort complete, I vacuumed the surface, followed by a solvent-wash.

Patterning for the 1708 biaxial cloth came next, and this was accomplished with a piece of plastic laid upon the plywood surface. I traced around the edges, cut out the plastic, and then transferred this to the 1708 cloth. This was in turn cut out, as well as a layer of peel ply to finish off the repair. With materials prepared, I mixed a pot of neat epoxy and proceeded to wet out the glass in situ. Ensuring full saturation, I next rolled out the glass to remove all trapped air - this was done with a metal fin roller. The repair was capped off with the application of peel ply, and worked into the wet surface with a chip brush. The peel ply will bring the amine blush to the surface, and removal will be accomplished by ripping off the peel ply. This is a time saver in the end, as water-washing and sanding is eliminated from the restoration of the underside of the companionway hatch. Next up: fairing filler for the weave of the cloth, a quick sanding, and then paint.

Total Hrs: 2.5