Priming the Hull

My primer had been sitting for awhile and there was a good inch worth of filler that settled to the bottom.

It took quite awhile to mix it up, even with a drill, but in the end it is perfectly mixed.

The primer is a 2 part solution, a 4-to-1 ratio. In order to make manageable batches I mixed 1 liter of primer to 1/4 liter of activator. Once mixed, it is critical to thin the solution with water/alchohol.

I applied the primer with a roller, here's a shot from the beginning of the first coat.

A view down the keel during the first coat.

One side of the hull bottom is now primed with 1 coat.

Another view of the first coat on half of the hull bottom.

I've now started to prime the sides.

Priming near the bow.

The hull is now primed, first coat. For the record, I primed the entire hull with 4 coats!

At this point the entire hull is primed with its first coat.

A view of the hull bottom primed from the bow.

A view of the stern looking forward after 1 primer coat.

I stepped outside of the garage to try to take a picture of the whole boat in its primed state.

Looking good, these are still the first coat, so the hull is not yet pure white.

This is a picture of the hull side with its 3rd coat of primer.

A view of the boat with 3 coats of primer.

A view of the transom.

An end of a strake at the transom, primer still wet.

The hull was left to sit for over 7 days to allow the primer to cure. Pefect since I was on vacation that week. Once I returned the primer was sanded up to 220 grit.

Now that the hull is ready for painting, I created a water-level and marked the DWL. I had a hard time trusting the line at the bow since it looks like it points upward, so I flipped this picture to prove it!

Here's a view of the bow with the tape in place on both sides.

This picture again shows that indeed the line is level despite the illusion from certain angles that it poing upwards once it crosses the chine.