fairing is fairly fair

I struggled with what to call this post because there are so many jokes and just one title. It could have been called My Fairing Lady

or: all’s fair in love and boating.

or: ~~my life~~ my boat isn’t fair.

If you are unclear whether I’m making jokes or writing gibberish, read on.

For most of my life I have not been using the word fair to it’s fullest potential.

There is, of course, the adjective: fair, as in an equanimous outcome. Or someone with a fair complexion. Or a fair ball. Or something that’s good within moderation. Or a description of the weather.

There is also the noun: a livestock/agricultural show enlivened with pie-judging, carnies, and fried food.

But there is another fair and that is the verb form: to fair. Fairing is done with fairing compound. Fairing compound is something that gets put on the imperfect bits on boats (or other things that are supposed to be smooth) to make it so you can’t see them any more. Think wall spackle over nail holes. Or Kim Kardashian’s makeup.

Seeing as we had a lot of imperfect bits we needed a good deal of fairing compound. Fairing compound comes in cans and is dry.

This is fairing compound. It contains tiny shards of fiberglass that like to embed in skin. Ask me how I know.

It has to be mixed in the proper ratios of dry compound (wear gloves!) to epoxy and hardener. Epoxy is glue.

Hardener makes the glue and fairing compound harden so it doesn’t spread and ooze out from where it is supposed to be. It requires some maths to get the ratio right. It also heats up as you stir it (yay, chemicals!) and the warmer the weather the more quickly it sets up. Setting up quickly is good if it is on the areas where it’s supposed to be. Setting up quickly is bad if it’s still in the container waiting to be spread. And it’s spread like frosting on a cake. Sort of.

I have to say that working with fairing compound is really not my thing. Peter was much better at it than I was. We all have our strengths and mine seemed to be pointing out the spots he missed.