This brings us to the grit-blasting that’s necessary in steel boats. When is the best time to undertake this work? In our opinion, the best time is before the boat is started—yes, this means pre-grit-blasting and priming all of the materials. If you opt to work with untreated steel, you’ll have some problems with working out the sequence of fitting out. You can’t install the insulation, the engine, or other large items until after you’ve grit-blasted and primed the inside of the hull. You certainly cannot grit blast the interior once these items are in place. You can see that if you work with untreated steel, you may create scheduling difficulties. Builders who choose steel as their building material should avoid these problems by either purchasing the steel already pre-blasted and primed, or by doing the job themselves before they start construction