Building ‘Sharpy’ Part 98

Masking tape removed from upper surfaces

There are other things besides boatbuilding. Today I was occupied mainly by them. However, I found moments for progressing with the boat. I was able to remove masking tape from the upper surfaces of the hull, paint the undersides of the forward deck panels with undercoat, and sand the remainder of the seat to get rid of paint on the ash slats.

Applying an undercoat to the inner surfaces of deck panels


When I have finished painting the undersides of the deck panels I’ll be ready for fixing them to the hull. It looks as though I’ll need more epoxy to do it, and to apply GRP tape to the chines. Epoxy from UK Resins is good, because the ratio of hardener to resin is not critical. The recommended mix is two of resin to one of hardener. This is easy to guess when mixing small quantities. I’ve never had any problems with it, but I’m finding the cost of postage and packing very high, and I’m wondering if I can get a better deal locally.

I'm hoping the seat will look smart when the old paint has been sanded off, and the slats have been varnished


‘Sharpy’s’ spars will have to be varnished, but before I can do that, I’ll need to check their measurements and drill holes for attaching the sail.