As a penance for my absence I was hard at it this afternoon, sanding down Watertight that had been used as a filler in the cockpit and deck when work stopped in the Autumn of last year. So far I have managed to smooth most of the area around the cockpit coaming and the lockers. The gelcoat under the cockpit locker lids was crazed and falling off in chunks before restoration (you can hardly call this bit refurbishment) started, so there is lots more refilling and sanding to come, Oh goody.
Before work stopped last year the hull below the waterline was also filled with Watertight and sanded smooth. After that it was given a coat of International Paint's Epiglass and that will get a final sanding with 180 paper before 6 coats of Gelshild are applied as soon as it is warm enough in the spring.
Working with an outside temperature of -10 C was not bad inside Little Grace's "tent" with a150w lamp right next to me while the sun was shining straight into the boat shed. But it started to get cold quickly once the sun it dipped below the trees, bringing work to an end for the day.
I am not one for rolling in the snow after a sauna but I have discovered it is a good way of getting all the dust from sanding off my quilted jumpsuit.
