6.) A Voyage of Discovery

Sanding is a pain.  But it also can be like traveling back through time.  As one layer after another is removed, a story unfolds.

This photo shows the equivalent of time lapse pictures of the bottom.  The white area is obviously paint.  The cloudy brown areas are places where filler has been applied over time to fair the hull.   It's hard to see but just under the layer of paint is a layer of thin fiberglass cloth, probably 6 ounce material.

The seams of the planks also run at angles to each other.  This is how they were applied, in 1/16th-inch layers when the boat was constructed.  The fact that they are visible means that over the years, zealous racers seeking to achieve an edge or while refinishing the boat, gradually sanded off nearly all of the outermost mahogany plank.  So the hull is no longer as thick, as strong, or as stiff as it once was.  It's going to be even more that way after I get through with all the sanding I plan to do.