4 seasons is about the average lifespan I get out of one part enamel. Rough docking, dinghy deflection takes it's toll.
Time was tight this year so I did about 10% of the 90% of prep work I could have completed(I'll do a better prep job in 2021).
Painting my topsides has been a solo task in the past for me. For the first time, I enlisted help in the process. I was curious if someone rolling would be a benefit or detriment in a process that takes a certain knack.
It's all about timing, thinning and the weather conditions. I have to brag, my daughter is very capable with a paint brush but she has never roll and tipped anything.
With taping off of the toe rail and the bottom complete, the staging set on the port side, it was time to find out.
My secret paint recipe:
1 Quart Easy-Poxy Gloss White
1 Quart Easy-Poxy Semi-Gloss White(old hull with imperfections that a little Semi gloss helps to hide).
Interlux 333 Brushing Thinner.
Put the paint in a 3 quart pail and stir well. Then add the 333. How much thinner? It depends.
All I can say is, it's almost never enough to start. Plus, I can never remember when I over thinned(which would result in poor coverage).
Weather conditions: Probably the most important component of the process.
Saturday was overcast, cool (high 50's), light winds and a few drops of rain from the tail end of a front, were falling(we checked the weater radar), as we set up. The wet ground meant dust was low.
These were about perfect conditions (which has rarely happened in the past) to roll and tip a topsides, outdoors.
With a roller pan full, we were off: We started at the stern where I explained the process to Mary Jane.
She caught on quickly but we adjusted her speed and rolling method until timing was feeling right. Here we are at the 'waist' of the port side. She was taking photos to document.
This is the holy grail of the process: MJ has just rolled on about 2 feet of evenly distributed paint(air bubbly patch in front of me).
I brush the paint in a checkerboard pattern (my preference), and finish with complete light strokes from toe rail to bottom tape. The cove stripe gets extra tipping as it can catch paint that will sag and run.
The stem area is 'extreme boat yoga'. It's beyond my 6' reach so I have to dismount the staging to tip the lower area. But finishing the stem is followed by a nice breather in the process.
MJ is applying the bottom tape(I forgot), while I move the staging to the starboard side. We take our time - get a drink - use the fishermen's 'blue house'(porta-potti), etc. I also thin the mix a bit more as the paint tends to thicken with time and air exposure.
When we're good and ready, we take off down the starboard side:
My wife took some shots for me as well. On the starboard 'waist', we're cruising now!
Here's a shot of the critical staging. Staging makes all the difference in any task (I'm a builder), especially boat work.
We wrapped it up. The actual time to roll and tip this 38.6" hull, was 2 1/2 hours. It's an intense time though. I resist looking too far back as you'll only make a blemish worse at this point.
So we cleaned up and took a well deserved sail on her brothers boat in the harbor. It was fantastic! Light 5 knot Northerly breeze, his boat is very nimble an had us hitting nearly 5 knots at times.
An hour later, we sailed young Tom's boat into the docks, and checked out our work.
The paint 'flowed out' extremely well in the cool moist air, for a very smooth finish. Brush marks were the lightest I've ever seen on the hull, I was pleased with the results.
Best quality roll and tip to date for me, as well as the fastest.
Two are better than one when it comes to roll and tip.
Time was tight this year so I did about 10% of the 90% of prep work I could have completed(I'll do a better prep job in 2021).
Painting my topsides has been a solo task in the past for me. For the first time, I enlisted help in the process. I was curious if someone rolling would be a benefit or detriment in a process that takes a certain knack.
It's all about timing, thinning and the weather conditions. I have to brag, my daughter is very capable with a paint brush but she has never roll and tipped anything.
With taping off of the toe rail and the bottom complete, the staging set on the port side, it was time to find out.
My secret paint recipe:
1 Quart Easy-Poxy Gloss White
1 Quart Easy-Poxy Semi-Gloss White(old hull with imperfections that a little Semi gloss helps to hide).
Interlux 333 Brushing Thinner.
Put the paint in a 3 quart pail and stir well. Then add the 333. How much thinner? It depends.
All I can say is, it's almost never enough to start. Plus, I can never remember when I over thinned(which would result in poor coverage).
Weather conditions: Probably the most important component of the process.
Saturday was overcast, cool (high 50's), light winds and a few drops of rain from the tail end of a front, were falling(we checked the weater radar), as we set up. The wet ground meant dust was low.
These were about perfect conditions (which has rarely happened in the past) to roll and tip a topsides, outdoors.
With a roller pan full, we were off: We started at the stern where I explained the process to Mary Jane.
She caught on quickly but we adjusted her speed and rolling method until timing was feeling right. Here we are at the 'waist' of the port side. She was taking photos to document.
This is the holy grail of the process: MJ has just rolled on about 2 feet of evenly distributed paint(air bubbly patch in front of me).
I brush the paint in a checkerboard pattern (my preference), and finish with complete light strokes from toe rail to bottom tape. The cove stripe gets extra tipping as it can catch paint that will sag and run.
The stem area is 'extreme boat yoga'. It's beyond my 6' reach so I have to dismount the staging to tip the lower area. But finishing the stem is followed by a nice breather in the process.
MJ is applying the bottom tape(I forgot), while I move the staging to the starboard side. We take our time - get a drink - use the fishermen's 'blue house'(porta-potti), etc. I also thin the mix a bit more as the paint tends to thicken with time and air exposure.
When we're good and ready, we take off down the starboard side:
My wife took some shots for me as well. On the starboard 'waist', we're cruising now!
Here's a shot of the critical staging. Staging makes all the difference in any task (I'm a builder), especially boat work.
We wrapped it up. The actual time to roll and tip this 38.6" hull, was 2 1/2 hours. It's an intense time though. I resist looking too far back as you'll only make a blemish worse at this point.
So we cleaned up and took a well deserved sail on her brothers boat in the harbor. It was fantastic! Light 5 knot Northerly breeze, his boat is very nimble an had us hitting nearly 5 knots at times.
An hour later, we sailed young Tom's boat into the docks, and checked out our work.
The paint 'flowed out' extremely well in the cool moist air, for a very smooth finish. Brush marks were the lightest I've ever seen on the hull, I was pleased with the results.
Best quality roll and tip to date for me, as well as the fastest.
Two are better than one when it comes to roll and tip.
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