I’ve finally caught up completely to where I was in May 2014 when the bastard thieves took everything they could carry out of the tent. The hard top was already painted, but since they stole the aluminum drip rails I had to break open the paint to fiberglass the edge where the drip rail would have mounted. The burglars also grabbed half of the aluminum helm windshield frame extrusions, and the new frame I had made required me to break open the paint on the cabin top and add some fairing compound to get the fit just right. We painted the windshield frame a week ago, and over this last weekend we painted the hard top and cabin top (again) with Matterhorn white Awlcraft 2000. I’ve gotten a lot of other things done over the last year in addition to recovering from the theft loss–the aft stateroom walls are in, the spray foam insulation is done, the galley bulkhead is in, and I made a gantry and installed the starboard engine–but with the paint work done I can finally put the theft behind me; from now on it’s all progress toward the goal of launching in 2016.
Taping off the hard top after sanding the Awlgrip 545 primer with 320 grit
Fillets and fiberglass might even look better than the original aluminum drip rail
Fume extraction system
The 12″ axial fume extractor fan hose goes down to a filter box. At 2000cfm, the fan pulls in pretty much all of the fumes and overspray, and no particulates come through the filters. It’s a pretty slick system, and works especially well in confined spaces.
Cover Guard diamond plate plastic floor covering for dust-free walking space
Windshield area is ready for paint
New windshield frame paint is protected
Windshield frame bolt holes get taped from the salon side
Painting in progress. Exhaust fans, on…no overspray coming out
Shiny!
My Boatamalan* painter calls Awlgrip topcoats “the shiny.” The guy has serious skills when it comes to laying this stuff out glossy and flat.
* Boatamalan: portmanteau indicating highly skilled boat workers of Central American origin. They’re actually from Honduras, but Boatamalan rolls off the tongue better. 
Good lookin’ fillets!
Foam roll tape is super expensive for what you get, but it makes an invisible blend
Check out that reflection!
The major paint work is now a wrap. I sent the windshield frame patterns to Motion Windows, and the new helm station windshield windows should be done within six weeks. We’re letting the paint cure for a few weeks before installing the windshield, so I’m shifting gears and heading back down to continue on the aft stateroom head ceiling.
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Moldings for the Aft Stateroom Head
1969chriscraftroamer46 
You can also apply painters tape and roll half of it back away from the area to receive paint to feather the joint.
That’s true, Ted. But while it works OK on cars and other small jobs, if you’re doing a big paint job like this, the last thing you want to do is waste time rolling tape when you can buy the foam tape pre-made. Also, I gotta say, rolling tape always left a bit of an edge. But this foam tape leaves an absolutely invisible blend. Seriously, with my nose an inch away, I can’t see the break for my life.
Cheers,
Q
Can’t wait to see this thing come out of the tent. From what I see you have only improved on all points of the Roamer. Let’s hurry along to the splash.
Thanks, John! It’d go a lot faster if you’d come over and help out! 😉
Cheers,
Q
Beautiful! Just beautiful.
Thanks, Doug!