: Hello all ! I have sucessfully glassed and filled the weave and am
: ready to sand the hull smooth. My intent is to us ROS. Should I
: start with 100 grit paper, and what is the recommended final
: grit?

: As always your input is greatly appreciated.

: Mark

I usually start with 60 grit and use the ROS like a fairing board, moving across the boat in a diagonal pattern. Let the sander do the work, do not put pressure on it, change paper often. After I get the shiney spots out with 60 grit I apply another 2 thin coats of epoxy, let it cure at least 24 hours at 70 degrees, and then switch to 120 grit wet, hand sanding. After that I rinse and dry that section with a towel. I then take a permanent marker ( I use black, but any color that contrasts with your wood works well) and highlight all of the shiney spots (there will be many!) since when the boat is wet you can't see them. I then switch to 220 grit hand sanding wet, and get all of the highlighted spots out, going a little longer after the highlighter marks canot be seen just to make sure i got it. I then rinse and dry the section off again, and highlight the few spots that are left, and then switch to 400 grit wet hand sanding for the final sanding. After that I am ready for varnish. I know doing this in 2 stages sounds like more work, but I don't think it is. If you try and get the hull completely smooth in one fell swoop your can end up going through your glass to bare wood in some places, and having more un-even surfaces. doing a rough-out sanding and then a finish sanding is actually easier, at least for me. I got this info from Vaclav of One Ocean kayaks, and you can see this advice on his website. The finish on your boat will be outstanding if you take his advice!

Bryan K