We’ve made some progress, despite last week’s Newport International Boat Show, which was mostly rained out except for Thursday. Not really sure why anyone pays to attend this; we scarfed “free” tickets from some of the folks working on our boat. The highlights: a 70′ Hinckley sailboat with over-the-top varnish work and several 50-60′ catamarans, which win some sort of prize for having windows in the staterooms, bathrooms, and under the stairs which look down/out below the waterline!
Back in our little world, our bottom is freshly painted, mostly. There’s still a few spots where the jack stands used to be before they were moved, that need to be finished off. Interlux Micron Extra was the flavor of choice here. It’s an ablative paint formulated for warm water, a veritable steal at something like $200/gallon. Huh?
Our rudder’s repaired and back on, our dual racor diesel fuel filters are installed, our prop’s back from servicing, and a new through-hull for our new watermaker has an appropriate backing plate. Which means that we’re almost ready to go back in the water!
It looks like the gating factor now is our new LED running (sailing) lights and new radome (radar dome). We knew this wasn’t going to happen until after the boat show, but we were planning on going back in the water without a mast and finishing this up later. But New England Boatworks (NEB) informed us today that while they don’t have a problem with us being out of the water (gratis) for as long as we need, they do need the space where our mast is sitting, so could we please finish that up ASAP? So we’re going to call the light folks in the morning and see if we can get that back on the top of their list. Pinball. This reminds us a lot of pinball.
On the menial labor side of things, we bleached out the lockers (again) and polished the brass rubbing strake that runs along the side. Why anyone would put things that oxidize on the outside of a boat is currently beyond me but then again, if I think too hard about any of this, I want to just hang my head and cry.
Must remind self: sunsets. Exotic food. No Department of Fatherland Security.
Tomorrow, we finally get to clean out our mast step (the anodized aluminum base plate that the mast sets down into). Ours was really dirty from ten years of goop coming down the mast through holes where the lines (halyards) that raise the sails go in and out. You’re supposed to pull your mast and clean these things out occasionally. The tool for this job was determined to be an 18V Dewalt .5 gallon wet/dry hand-vac. Amazon Prime is our friend.
We’re also horrified to report that fall is in the air. The trees change here and everything! What’s up with that?
