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Painted Over Thompsons Water Sealer

I wound up researching what to do about the paint situation over top of Thompson's Water Sealer. According to Thompson's, if there is excess water sealer you just use a commercial solvent-based degreaser on it - spray or wipe it on, wait ten minutes, reapply wherever it's dry, scrub the surface with a stiff brush or some other kind of scrubber, and wash or mop it off.

Ken Simpson was kind enough to write back immediately to tell me that he always uses oil paint and that it was actually the preferred paint for marine applications. I am completely ignorant of all of that, and had nothing really against using oil paint except my lack of experience.

I talked to a guy at Kelly Moore and he recommended a "Cover Stain" primer and an industrial enamel, so I snuck out of work and ran to the hardware store. The forecast called for rain, and I am fixated on getting the boat in the water this weekend (the last weekend in February being the anniversary of the first Puddle Duck race and I really want to help celebrate - so I'm running a solo metaphorical Puddle Duck Race!). I ran home and got to work cleaning and priming.

Fortunately I have one of those free standing propane heaters like you see outdoors at restaurants, as well as a covered awning in my back yard. I got two coats of primer on last night, and this morning I got up and was able to slap on a coat of paint. Just in time too; it's pretty much pouring rain right now.

So - at very long last this duck is ready to dunk her hull. I have a long list of things I need to do if I want to sail her this weekend, but I am ready to screw on some oarlocks and fabricate an oar (my dad called me the other night to ask me if I had any use for "one salvaged seven foot oar" that he found while helping clean out a rental, and of course my answer was YES!)

I'm still hoping to get her rigged for sail by the weekend. I'm thinking I'm going to slap together a semi-disposable rudder and leeboard from scraps. I have my eye on a ten-foot bamboo stick for my sprit. I have most of what I need to finish the rigging, but still have to reinforce the corners of the sail somehow, poke the holes along the luff and attach it to the mast, install the deck plates, probably some more little things that have slipped my mind...


I'll keep you posted on my race to the finish!

Tyson