Edge impregnation finished

It’s almost summer weather - 15 degrees, sunny and windy.

I tilted the boat to work on port side strakes and CB-case opening. To speed up the work I used small syringe - flooding strakes edges went quicker. As the hull is tilted garboard and following strake were almost vertical so I could dispense a lot of epoxy along edges. Using it as a reservoir I brushed the glue onto the whole edge.

Boring and tedious job but has to be done.

I cranked the stove to reach 30 degrees in the shed and we went into woods to pick mushrooms.

Later in the evening the glue was solidified so I could bring back the hull to normal position. Remaining strakes got their second dose of epoxy. Finally this is done!

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With the stove pumping heat I hope to have cured epoxy by tomorrow so I can start sanding.

I considered for a while leaving the hull bright and varnish it. It looks quite appealing already. However - being again a slave of varnish is not in my plans. Besides - trained eye can instantly say that this is plywood, why pretend? Having the hull painted is not only more interesting but also adds higher level of protection compared to varnish. And is easier to maintain. And Louve shall be my workboat, not a damn yacht!

The hull will be painted black, with just transom and sheer strakes left bright. Interior of the boat will be varnished thou, I like the look of this plywood indeed.

As a primer I will use 2-component Hempel Light Primer. Which is epoxy, in fact. Not that I need yet another coat of epoxy but I happen to have a bucket of it, sitting in my shop since renovation of Motoko. Same as black paint, in fact. I like such synergies!

So it will be a bit of “belt & suspenders” with so much epoxy but “nothing too strong ever broke”. I plan to roll at least 2 layers but to spend the whole bucket will yield even more.