Sanding, Sanding, and yet more Sanding
Phase 14: Sanding, Sanding, and More Sanding
If I had a nickel for every time I sanded this boat, I'd be a wealthy man. I'm joking, but seriously, sanding, re-sanding, and sanding again is the most time-consuming and common thing you'll do in boat building.
My honest recommendation: put on some earbuds and noise protection over them, and just settle into it. You need to get comfortable with sanding, because you'll probably spend forty to fifty hours or more on it, especially if you're a perfectionist.
I'm showing a few photos of the exterior sanding here, including some of the imperfections, on purpose. It's okay to make mistakes. The way you fix them is more sanding. For instance, if you have a low spot, one way to fix it is to add more epoxy and re-sand it down to a level surface later.
A couple of helpful hints: if you're planning to paint the exterior, TotalBoat sells a specific product that builds up layers on the hull so the final coat looks much smoother. I forget the exact name, but I used it. Even so, nothing replaces hours spent sanding and bringing everything down to a smooth, flat surface.
