The last post described how the painted upper hull was wet sanded with a P800 grit to obtain a smoot, flat surface.
I then carried out what seemed like an interminable amount of more wet sanding with progressively finer grits, going through P1200, P1500, P2000 and finally P2500.
This created a very smooth, flat surface but as expected it was quite dull and unattractive.
Experience from painting the lower hull and the companionway slide showed that the answer to this problem was to finish the paintwork with polishing compound - effectively liquid sandpaper - using a foam pad on the rotary sander.
One pass with P5000 and then two more with P9000 compound produced a good surface, followed by a thorough wash with finish cleaner and a final buffing with a soft cloth to give it a nice shine.
This is a view of the finished cockpit.
And here is the view from the bow.
It's hard to tell from the photos that there is much shine at all, but you can get some idea from this look at the forward deck well.
And again here in this look at the upper breast hook.
I'm much happier how the upper hull turned out, compared with the bottom of the boat. So painting the bottom and sides was as hoped a very useful learning experience.
Next task is to remove the tape from the rails and varnish them. That will be fun!
