Day 32 - Turned the Boat Over

Since the last post I have spent a lot of time sanding the blue and pink undercoat back to a smooth surface. This was a dirty and tiring job!

Today I turned the boat over to begin work on the inside. It isn't heavy and two or three people could simply lift it up and turn it over. Working by myself I set up two pulleys with rope slings around the boat. I raised and propped up one end at a time and tightened the sling at that end. With the boat supported by the slings I simply turned while the slings ran through the pulleys. Here are some photos of the process.

Up she goes. Three moulds are left in place to keep the gunwales apart.

At the half way point.

All the way round.

Here is the inside. The three moulds have been replaced by temporary braces that can easily be removed and replaced to provide better access. The next task (about as tedious as sanding the outside) is to remove all the epoxy that squeezed out of the plank joints on the inside. If you double click on the photo you will zoom in and be able to see the epoxy glinting along the joints - about 60 metres of it!