Third Coat of Topsides Paint

January 21, 2018

With absolutely stellar weather, I was eager to get out there and begin the hull prep for the third coat of topsides paint.  I changed my approach in sanding with now having two coats on Joule, choosing to take off the gloss and knock down the high spots with 320-grit paper.  The topsides are laying on increasingly better with each application  After sanding the second coat down to create a good mechanical bonding surface, I notice the high spots are becoming less obvious as well.  As with the other prep work for the topsides paint, I first worked my way around Joule with a focus on the water line.  All of the sanding work for the finish paint is done by hand, with the waterline requiring nothing less - slower, but necessary.  The picture below shows the glossy second coat and the opacity of the recently sanded surface of the second coat.

With the sanding work out of the way, I mixed a pot of Rochelle Red and set it aside for the 20-minute induction period.  During this time, I vacuumed the hull of the sanding residue and then wiped it down with a solvent.

With the induction period expired, I thinned the pot by ~20% and got to painting.  Shown below, coat number three.  The next work session will involve removing the brightwork and starting the oil application, as well as deck/cockpit painting.

Total Time Today: 3.5 hrs