Hull of a week

Hello! Happy Sunday :)

This week was re-painting Katona week, and on Wednesday I spent 6 hours trawling to the dry dock again. 4 of those I was thinking "Why the fuck did I get a boat?!", but it was beautiful — the Avon at its best — so instead I focused on being annoyed at myself for being annoyed. It's not quite as relaxing when you feel like there's a destination, you have to be somewhere.

But I've had a great time so far — I spent all of Thursday sanding down the sides before removing the port-side windows that evening:

On Friday I removed the other 4 windows, covered them up and sanded down the gunwales. I always underestimate how long it'll take, but that evening I hoovered the worst of the dust and epoxied some gaps...

A few weeks ago during a thunderstorm I noticed a leak about 3.6 meters from the back on the starboard side, where there's a join in the hull. It was obvious after sanding it back, and ain't no water getting in now:

I'd never used epoxy, but consider me a fan. For when welding won't or can't work; delightful blue icing, and some other spots needed TLC, like around the kitchen windows:

Also my shower rail arrived this week, and on Friday I installed it + a curtain:

After a dip in the river to clean the worst of the grime off, I had my first shower here and I have to say it was glorious. Cold, but glorious. I absolutely nailed it; a few things like a towel rail + hot water + the underfloor heating are missing, but the space resonates, it feels harmonious. And I finally plugged in a relay for the extractor fan, which also works! Although I need to dial down the sensitivity...

Then on Saturday I primed the exposed areas, 2 coats on each side:

But the white paint started turning pink in a few areas, and then I learned about Xylene, the aggressive solvent used as a carrier in some paints, like Jotun's Pilot QD Primer or Pilot ACR (the ones I got). The pure thinner also dissolved one of those red plastic cups, just melted it.

Figuring that the topcoat would be more aggressive than the primer, I spent that evening in a tizzy worried that Red Katona was incompatible with Orange Katona.

Given the window sitch and feeling choice-less, I did a test patch and forged on. Some parts where I hadn't prepped well enough were a little flaky, but with a light first coat and generously keying afterwards, it all looks okay. I think it might've been some of the shinier old paint, whereas most of it is the dull coat underneath. At this point who knows; I might be playing whack-a-mole with flakes and blisters in 2 weeks, and worst case I shell out some $$ next year to grit blast it bare, then have it sprayed with a bombproof 2K aliphatic polyurethane. Chemistry is fascinating, but entropy's a bitch.

It did cross my mind a few times that I should've just got a new hull instead, or maybe a house?? But I will see it through. Still learning, and I'm a little wiser when it comes to paint.

Anyway this isn't a yacht, it's a vibe. And I am absolutely in love with the orange:

Another coat tomorrow, then windows and I'll be out. I won't have enough time to finish the stern or gunwales, but I can do that en route back to the marina.

Until next Sunday!

- Nick