Some thoughts on using hired help for an F-boat

Sorry all, long time no updates. I've been too upset and busy to sit down and write. I had originally dismissed the thought of using help for the fairing, mainly because I did not expect to find anyone able to do the work to my standards within a tolerable cost. Then I got these two guys recommended by the painter and I could see the boat finished maybe two months earlier. The problems rose before work started, as they did not show up. Then one showed up for two days instead of two until finished, and so on. It did look, however, as he was doing a good job. I was not able to be there and help and guide, mostly during Easter, but I had given instructions, or so I thought. By the end of Easter my costs had reached $5.000, the boat was more bumpy than ever and worst: It was covered in patches of fairing compound of different mix ratios. And on top of that, fine fairing using electrical tools had started. Even those areas already finished by me before this week had been ruined. That is when I ended their engagement.

Since then I have spent every available minute sweating over the longboard, trying to save the boat. It looked like I had to do another big fill, but it seems now I will be able to get an acceptable finish, although not as I hoped, by thorough work with the longboard and a few extra highbuild fills. No need to say, the boat was not ready for painting early April as planned, as it is still not so. I'm getting closer, though.

This is after about one and a half week of sanding with 40 grit.  Most of the big bumps are removed.

Couple of days later.  A test run of modified highbuild is applied.  Never succeeded in sourcing the Hempel High Protect that was supposed to be good.  The Jotun HB I used for the floats are banned; contains aluminium and is almost impossible to sand. I make my own now from Biltema Epoxy Primer added a modest amount of Microballoons.

Around 90% of the filler is now see trough to the laminate, which means the hull itself was very fair.  The last unevenness are extremely hard to remove as the differences in hardness of the various batches of fairing compound come into play.

The scimming coat done to the lower half of the hull.This is a mix of about 5% microballoons in epoxy, and it fills the pinholes well as well as it fills up the surface of the micro and harden it. I have tried different methods of applying, using roller and squeegee.  Then I remove all I can with a steel squeegee.  I think the best is to apply with a plastic squeegee, and be cautious to remove the epoxy when it starts getting dry. This happens quite fast depending on the state of the micro, as epoxy is "sucked" into the surface of the filler.

 The waterline was established using a laser leveller and then taped

Jotun Antipest sealing eposy applied to the underwater area.