"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...
Heh.

It's currently preventing me from wearing myself out sanding out the
initial fairing compound treatements on our hull.

Methinks you are lazy, Skippy. Wet sanding is probably easier than dry
sanding. It certainly is healthier as you don't breathe toxic dust. Get out
there in your Speedo and get to work! All the boatyard gals will surely
swoon!


However...

Starboard is nearly ready for final fairing - one more day and it will be.
We hit all the "deep" spots first, with our AdTech 621 - but just using a
regular wide putty knife for filling them - compound, and sanded them to
dull.

Second step was to fill all those again (inevitable flattening with a
standard DA/RO sander required a second, much thinner application), as
well as going over the other, much shallower spots, and then pulling a 24"
long paint dodger, pressed into service as a fairing knife, over all of
it.

Sanding of that area involved the entire hull, as there were all the other
surfaces which got a very thin skim coat as well as the 'holes' we filled.
However, that knife followed the curvature of the hull, and subsequent
sanding (about half done, the last couple of days' worth of layup having
the sanded interrupted by the rain) is merely to scuff the surfaces -
again, the entire hull, but as there's very little material which needs
removal (other than the inevitable ridges created by the knife), it's
actually been easier than the first coat.

This morning I motored outside the harbor and anchored in the cleaner water
in the bay to check out the condition of my new bottom paint that was
applied in December. It was in great shape. No crusty stuff at all and just
some brownish slime or stain that came right off using a dime-store,
rubber-dot glove on my hand. And, STILL not a blister in sight. Just a nice,
clean, smooth bottom the likes of which an America's Cup boat would be proud
of.

Once we have it all fair, we'll do a bit of fiberglassing on the leading
and trailing edges of the keel, the bottom of the keel, and the very stern
of the boat, over the rudder.

Morgan 46s were built as split hulls, which made for much more effective
layup, as every part of the layup was reachable - and they were laid up
flat, having an assist from gravity. However, of necessity, the mating of
the two parts involved some filler at the edges, before they were glassed
over from the outside.

A weak and unseamanlike design which put profit over function, I'm afraid. I
sure would not feel very confortable in your boat in a survival storm at
sea. I'd have ten times more faith in my little 27-footer that
was popped out of a mold in one piece, especially as I have foamed her to
have positive flotation.


Snippage of remainder of masochistic tale!


Wilbur Hubbard

P.S. Send cards and letters (checks and money orders) to:

Neal Warren
PO Box 1015
Tavernier, Fl 33070

Thank-ee kindly