2011: Post 61 – Disko Done

Continued from Post 59…

Last week I finished painting the Disko.  It was a slow process… I would paint the hull one evening, let it dry overnight and then flip it over and paint the deck the next evening after work... I finished painting it on Sunday night past and on Monday night I started in on the finishing touches…

I had an old foam sleeping pad that I cut to use as a seat cushion.  I don’t know if I will need it for comfort but it won’t hurt.  I have been wondering if sitting directly on the wood floor boards might not be good for the dry suit - wouldn’t want a splinter to poke a hole in the suit…

I also cut a couple pieces to put under my feet.  I am thinking that grit on the boots may eventually cause premature wearing on the inside of the polyester skin.  Like the seat cushion, it can’t hurt to have there if not really required…

I tried out the under deck bungees… seems to work well enough to hold my pump in place.  I will have to wait until I get on the water to see if this is a good idea for my pump location…

I added all my deck lines and then, using my soldering iron, trimmed off the excess polyester around the cockpit.  This worked very well as it would melt through the polyester and there were no strands to contend with…

I ran a bead of marine goop around the cockpit and attached the coaming by screwing stainless steel screws from inside… and also attached the back band…

I needed to fill the holes in the gunwales with marine goop where the deck lines run through but the nozzle on the tube was too big to be able to get the goop in the holes.  I had a tube of sealant that had not been used and I cut off the plastic nozzle and then ‘screwed’ the nozzle of the goop into it. 

I was able to fill the holes with the goop without making too much of a mess of it around the holes…

So all I have left to do with it is to add a rub strip on the keel.  This is suggested as optional but is a good idea and I will probably add one next week.

We are planning to paddle tomorrow but the instructions on the marine goop say it can take up to 72 hours for the goop to fully cure, depending on the room temp.  So I will let it sit for a few days now.  And it is not really wise to go on a paddle the first time out and then find out she is taking on water and needs more paint!!!  I am tempted though to bring the Disko to the pool on Tuesday but it just doesn’t seem right that the first time she is put on water would be in the pool.  So I guess I will wait till next weekend, weather permitting, and get her on the salt water to see if she will sink or float.