FS19 in Sherwood, OR

[Coach]

Looks great! well done

[Scrappy]

Got the spray rails cut to shape and plywood cut for the rub rail but once I started dry fitting them thought it better to start fairing first. Made a first attempt on the starboard bottom panel and would give it a D because I didn’t break anything. Put it on thin just filling the weave but think at that rate it would take forever. Switched to the notched trowel method on the port bottom panel. Let it cure overnight and sanded today. Started with a random orbital sander to knock down the obvious highs and then a couple of passes with my fairing board getting the ridges fair. I used the BBC blend to make the fairing compound. Plan on filling with EZ fair. Waiting on more of the fairing blend to arrive hopefully in the next day or two.

[Dan_Smullen]

For me, fairing was a humbling experience that started 6 months ago.
Stay after it though! She’s looking good.

Adding spray rails and rub rails is a good way to break up the monotony, and they give you some hard points to work to.

[Jeff]

Great progress Scrappy!!! Congrats, Jeff

[Scrappy]

Finally got a coat of fairing compound over the entire hull using the notched trowel method. Continued sanding; my method has been to sand first with the random orbital sander then when I've knocked down the highs and I feel the ridges are close to fair I switch to the fairing board. I work station to station, making 4 passes with the fairing board, first working at a 45 degree angle to the longitudinal axis, then the opposite 45, then two passes, one parallel and one perpendicular to the long axis. There is still a little work to do on the bottom panels near the transom and the side panels at the bow, but the ridges are fair over the majority of the boat.

Next steps are to add the rub rail and spray rails. Then fair in the rails, fill the ridges with fairing compound, sand again, then a final coat with EZ fairing compound.

Started on the spray rails today. I had shaped them from 20' clear cedar 2x2s. The process started out easy enough, I used temporary screws put the spray rail in place, leaving it about 1/2 and inch off the hull, room to apply the Gel Magic. However, after I had applied the glue, because my rails are triangular, but not quite isosceles, and I had started the screws through the outer vertex when I attempted to screw them tight to the hull there was a large gap between the rail and the hull on what will eventually be the top side. Luckily my wife and 12 year old were home and they helped me while I quickly removed and replaced all the screws to get the rail to sit flush against the hull.

[GuyP]

Looking good. You’ll love getting that first coat of primer on her. All of that fairing blotchiness disappears. I held off with any fairing until my spray rails and strakes were taped in.

[Scrappy]

Got the spray rails shaped and glassed to the hull. Got the first layer of the rub rail cut and dry fit. I neglected to cut the rub rail from the side panels before stitching the boat together so this process was a little harder than it needed to be.

[BB Sig]

Looking good! I like how you caught the wife getting stuff out of the garage fridge!

[GuyP]

Cutting out rub rails before stitching the hull together is an excellent idea. Wish I had heard about that early on also. You’re the first I recall talking about it.

[Scrappy]

Making slow and steady progress. Finished putting on the rub rail and then got a second coat of fairing compound over the entire hull. Sanded the port side and transom and they are mostly fair with a few low spots to fill. Started sharpening the edges on the spray rails by building a dam on the top side from plywood strips covered with packing tape and then filling with EZ fillet.