Friday was a late finish as it was ideal weather for painting the epoxy primer. I still has a couple of patches to fill but rather than delay the primer I filled the patches and painted around the filled area.
I used a high volume low pressure spray to apply the Interprotect epoxy primer and this worked well until some hardened primer blocked the spray gun. My attempts to clear it were unsuccessful so I finished applying the last section of the flat bottom with a roller and by 6:15pm I had covered the hull and used up all of the eight litres of mixed paint.
Now that is just the first coat as I have three more to apply .
Inside the hull I have applied the first coat to the V beth lockers and started to paint the V berth themselves. This means hand sanding the stringers and the inside of the radius chine so I have been happy for the odd rainy day when the conditions under the hull are tolerable for sanding and for painting. Two coats of a satin finish high build epoxy primer will give a pleasant finish to the interior of the lockers and the underside or the VG berth bunks.
These shelves in the V berth lockers are so much deeper than on Passion X and the top side and underside of every shelf is getting the same two coats of epoxy treatment.
Back at Greenwich Flying squadron we had a handicap win last Wednesday. The breeze was at the top end of our No 1 light genoa range and with a crewmember holding the clew out to windward we sailed through the fleet on the first downwind leg. From there on it was concede as little ground as possible on the windward leg to Goat Island and hang on for the race back around Cockatoo and home.
The wind was definately in the sweet spot for Passion X, we had a clean bottom and applied maximum vang pressure to windward so we could drop the boom down and retain height with the tight leech. Lots of rig adjustment throught the variable wind strength kept us moving but it will take a mighty effort to match the J boats to windward. Well done to Jackpot for a fastest time.