Aaaand, Jersey Girl has her raincoat on.
Houseboat update, Wednesday, October 2, 2029 (Part 2) -- Aaaand, Jersey Girl has her raincoat on. She'll be comfortable enough to see her through tomorrow's stormy weather, I think. Even after I get those two final roof planks on, I won't be quite finished the roof, and I'll have to use the tarps until I am finished. First, I will have to screw and glue two-inch wide tongue-and-groove strips all along the side edges, to serve as overhangs to direct water away from the sides of the boat. Next, I'll sand both side "shoulders" to get ride of any epoxy lumps. Then I will need to apply at least two coats of fairing compound to fill the grooves and cover the screw heads, sanding after each application. After that, there will be an epoxy-bedded layer of fiberglass cloth, followed by an additional coat of epoxy. Then, sanding, two coats of primer an finally, two coats of finish paint. Only then will I be free of the tarps!
All the side overhangs on Jersey Girl's roof are complete.
Houseboat update, Monday, October 7, 2019 -- All the side overhangs on Jersey Girl's roof are complete. But I still have to use tarps to protect her from rain, because the roof is not yet sealed with epoxy, fiberglass, primer and paint. I need six or seven rain-free days with warm temperatures to do that.There's more to making and installing these simple overhangs than meets the eye, so I'll post a separate description and photos of that process later tonight. But first, because a storm is forecast until 10 tomorrow morning, I must get Jersey Girl's raincoat on her.
It took a grand total of an hour and 15 minutes to sand all the green fairing glop...
Houseboat update, Sunday, October 13, 2019 -- it took a grand total of an hour and 15 minutes to sand all the green fairing glop smooth on the starboard side of Jersey Girl's roof. There are a few random slightly low spots where the epoxy-based compound did not quite fill to the surface of the grooves between some of the roofing planks. I know that if I leave it the way it is, the low spots will telegraph through the epoxy-bedded fiberglass that will cover the roof, but I also know that they will be largely concealed (in all but the strongest dawn and sunset sidelight), once the primer and paint are applied. Even then, they will be visible only to birds soaring overhead. And what's visible to any humans who happen to be standing on the walls of canal locks as Jersey Girl passes through will serve as a visual cue to her humble and honest roots. As you may be able to discern, I've convinced myself -- I'm going no further. Jersey Girl is shanty boat chic, not the royal yacht Britannia.
The port side of Jersey Girl's roof is fiberglassed.
Houseboat update, Monday, October 21, 2019 -- The port side of Jersey Girl's roof is fiberglassed. While the epoxy it's bedded in cures, I'll move over to the starboard side. Remaining to do on the roof: trim the edges of the fiberglass fabric, give it a light sanding, followed by an additional application of epoxy, two coats of primer and two coats of topside paint. Also, I will have to build, fiberglass and finish the two "gullwing" sections of the roof and install them with hinges and gas-lift struts. The uncharacteristically warm autumn has treated me (and Jersey Girl) very well.
Now that the epoxy on the starboard aft gull wing has cured enough, I can remove the...
Houseboat update, Thursday, October 24, 2019 (part 2) -- Now that the epoxy on the starboard aft gull wing has cured enough, I can remove the six temporary retaining screws and lift it enough to give an idea of what it will look like in use. Pretty nifty, eh what? I'll bring it into the house for a full cure overnight, and tomorrow I will start finishing it with a layer of fiberglass. I expect it will be next week before I can permanently install it with a piano hinge.
