: I was about to put a sealer coat of epoxy(sys III clearcoat) on my hull when
: we got hit by 5 inches of rain on Buzzard's Bay. I am building in my
: basement and it flooded two to three inches. I have pumped dry except for
: the uneven points of the floor. I will wet vac the rest tomarrow(Sunday).
: There is still a lot of moisture in the air and the sumps are running
: almost constant, with more rain to follow Monday and Tuesday. Not to be a
: weather station, but I will be out of state for a week and I would like to
: seal the hull and glass at least one coat of 3.1 oz. satin before I take
: off for vacation on Wenesday. I do not have any devise that measures
: moisture content in the air. If and when can I do the first coat and
: wetout? Will the high humitity (?) effect the results? I have not worked
: with fiberglass and resin since we built stich and glue river boats for a
: local river race in late Sixties.( yes I forgot everything I never knew).
: Please give me a clue.
: Dave

I would suggest wrapping the boat in plastic and waiting until things dry out. To do otherwise is asking for trouble. Even if you were to apply your seal coat without problems, having one surface sealed while the interior is not, will create problems. The sealed surface will be stable and the unsealed surface will expand if you have more moisture in the air.

Play it safe. Wrap the boat in plastic to prevent further moisture absorption and wait until the floods subside.

Then unwrap and let it dry a couple days before coating.

BUY a humidity gage. They're not very expensive. You will know what's happening with the moisture levels.

Be patient, you will have this boat for many years to come. Take the time you need now to ensure a beautiful outcome.

All the best,

Rob Macks
Laughing Loon CC&K
www.LaughingLoon.com