folkboat dilemma!!

[woolleyhatter]

Dear FONTS of all knowledge: (i'm sure you're fed up with my questions, but please hang in there!!)
I've stripped out all the old furniture, and now only have the empty hull, which is painted in white gloss paint.
My plan is to take paint off, put on new undercoat and gloss whilst it's empty, is this a good idea??, or should i refit new furniture and deck now to help her retain her shape, then repaint?. Train of though is it's easier if she's empty, but she's also still drying out a little (last moisture test was 12/13%). Will the re-paint be affected as i still have the caulking to (this job at least 4/5 months away!).
Thanks again friends.

 

[MasterofHera]

What type of construction clinker or carvel? Go very careful when recaulking ....overcaulkin can cause broken frames and loads of distortion when your boat takes up some water. Are you working under cover?

 

[woolleyhatter]

Hi there
thanks for quick reply, and i should have mentioned it, but she's carvel (mahogany on oak) and under cover

 

[KenMcCulloch]

I think if you have completely removed the deck and all deck beams there is some scope for the hull to distort. If that's the case I would suggest fitting some temporary deck beams (4 or 5 say) to give the hull some dimensional stablity while you refit the internal structures. It's going to be a lot easier doing that with the deck off, giving you more room to work, less backache and much less eyestrain.
If it's topsides painting rather than the interior you are talking about I would leave that until a bit later on the grounds that you don't want to have to worry about damaging the paintwork while doing the fitting out. Hull topsides in a mature boat are not going to radically shrink and expand due to being out of the water for a few months of a 21st century British winter.