There's the rub

So after a day's sanding with 600 grit on the electric sander, the starboard topsides were ready for the wet n dry treatment So Phil and I cracked on. Note the difference in styles! Phil and I agreed to do half each, question is where is half way! We never even did agree, but the shine was equally spectacular.  

 

Shineeeeee

  So now to get the vinyl sorted, booked in for the 29th so let's hope it's neither windy nor wet!  

It's all behind you

Using my new found education from Phil I was further delegated to polish the starboard quarter using the approved process - 600 grit, 1200 then 2000 followed by cutting compound and wax polish which I duly did although my shoulders were groaning after wet and drying the length each time. I don't know how Phil does it day in, day out! After the quarter I wanted to nominate myself  for a project and picked the transom, after all the Grapefruit boys and girls had told me that the order of vinyl for the sign writing and lettering was ready. So I did and had to deal with the detailing around the various skin fittings and stainless struts for the bathing platform. I had earlier removed the timbers and cleaned them with teak renovator and cleaner but they were still very rough surfaced with exposed fibres of teak which although good for non slip, were not particularly attractive. So with a generous response from Universal I borrowed their thicknesser, just before it was wheeled from their shed prior to refurbishment. With a bit of sanding I was able to get the teak back to a nicer condition and with shorter screws purchased that did not stand proud of the upper surface it was all put back together followed by a good coat of teak wax, Anyway this is how the transom looked beforehand:-

Before

Platform stripped off     So after much elbow grease and two goes as I was not entirely happy with the first go, I put the bathing platform back together after polishin the transom prior to the graphics being applied.

Not too bad

Quite like all this shining GRP

Shaving mirror

  Not bad for a beginner, thanks to Phil for his patience and mentoring, onwards and upwards, the graphics are all on my car that is the signage for the transom, the hull and the striping which can only be applied once we have finished restoring the topsides .    

You can easily see the now ubiquitous yellow staining and the dull oxidised finish to the glass fibre.

How many Inches in forty feet?

The task for the weekend set by Phil is to key up the blue stripe rubbing down scuffs and scratches and also to remove the Cove line or Covita line as Phil has come to call it. So a morning well spent on the blue stripe on the port side

Removing scuffs and rekeying

Then after coffee I turned to the cove line on the starboard side. Using a heat gun I found that I was able to lift a tag to pull, however when peeling the gold cove line back it would lift for an inch or so and then tear off! It was going to be a long afternoon

Inch worm

  After a while I learned that by using a lolly stick I could fit the semi circular valley and by heating consistently raise the edge, pull back the tape while not burning fingers, after much effort I was able to achieve a record of pulling off 8 inches in one go! Removing the adhesive required copious amounts of acetone and rubbing with an old cloth. So 2 hours later that was one side done and just enought time to warm the Warrior 40 logo and remove it gently with a sharp scraper and much acetone

Logo removal

Just before 18:00 after a long afternoon and slightly burned finger tips, the cove line and logo were both removed.