With the topsides ready for finish paint, and now wanting to turn to priming the decks, it was time to lay out critical deck fittings. For today, this included the all important mast step and foredeck cleat. So those items were the focus, but additional items lurk in the background and will not concede their time in being addressed.

Upon arrival, I got straight to the hatch...wanting to remove the peel ply and evaluate the lamination on the companionway hatch. After a satisfying pull and release of the peel ply, I reviewed the application of the single layer of 1708 biaxial cloth - all looked very good, with the exception of a few areas of weave to be filled - which I did with a small amount of fairing filler. The companionway hatch will not be set to the side awaiting primer paint to the underside.

I moved over to the paint booth for the day's primary task - laying out location of the mast step and foredeck cleat, over-drilling and then filling those holes with thickened epoxy. The idea here being that an over-drilled hole is "plugged" with thickened epoxy and then later drilled and tapped (if need be) for the final fastener installation. The epoxy plug offers separation of water intrusion from the delicate balsa coring in the deck. The worst case in this scenario is that the boat owner is re-bedding fasteners to prevent water leakage.

I reviewed notes taken on the mast step and used those measurements to define the location of the mast step to be reinstalled. I also used prior notes to define the location of the new bronze foredeck cleat - a shop donation for a worthy Typhoon. With the fastener locations defined for both the foredeck cleat and the mast step, I could then move forward with over-drilling and filling. I tacked the foredeck cleat first and made quick work of over-drilling with a forstener bit - a diameter larger than the #12 bronze machine screws that will secure it. I then began to over-drill on the mast step, but soon remembered that I had laid up a solid glass core when repairing this area. The forstener bit was biting into solid glass...and kept going...and, oh yeah! I now remember laying up a solid laminate for the mast step!

I vacuumed up the drilling debris and got things ready for filling. In the shop, I mixed up a batch of epoxy with West System 404 high-density filler, carried it over to Biscuit and carefully applied it to each over-drilled opening in the deck, including the partially drilled hole in the coachroof. I left things for now and proceeded to lightly sand the cockpit priming from the prior session. As expected, I identified pinholes that needed the smallest portion of filler, but needed it nevertheless. I vacuumed the surface and wiped it down with solvent, and then filled the few areas with filler. More primer to come after the brief sanding on these locations...

I closed the paint booth, and Biscuit, for the night and headed back to the shop for additional work on the mast and rails. With 400-grit, I sanded the port side lightly, followed by an additional coat of TotalBoat Wet Edge finish paint. After cleaning up underneath the pole barn, I moved back into the shop and set up a couple saw horses to accommodate the toe and rub rails for their first, thinned coat of varnish.

With the rails in position, I thoroughly wiped them down with a solvent to remove surface dust and debris. I then mixed a small pot of varnish and brushing thinner, 50/50. The first coat of varnish, thinned to 50%, helps move material into the grain, stabilizing the wood. I then proceeded to brush on, with a foam brush, the thinned varnish. Varnish work is about to become the dominate task...among other things!

Total Hrs: 5.5