A REALLY Full Day...

Today started really early (6:00).... The first job was to figure out a way to get the main mast ready for the tri-sail (storm) track that I ordered yesterday... As you can see in the picture I had some obstacles to work around to be able to leave the sail attached to the mast and ready to go.... I found a piece of plastic extrusion and trimmed it to fit around the winch and the bracket where the boom attaches to the mast.... Then I mixed up a really thick batch of epoxy and attach it to the mast... this will work really well (I hope).... We will see when the track arrives next week....


Next, I finished sanding the boot strap then painted it... I ended up having JUST enough paint! Whew.... I think it looks great...


Then I sanded the teak all around the gunnels followed by a coat of slow curing epoxy... I have to tell you that I have had really good luck using epoxy instead of varnish... Fortunately, Shelley came by this afternoon and masked the gunnel making it possible to get this done today...



Around 4pm we came home only to realize that when we got home that I had forgotten to load the life raft into the car to take it to the appointment to have it inspected and re-packed in Toronto tomorrow.

So... After supper we headed back to the boat and decided that since we had to go back anyway, we would try a test area for the first coat of bottom paint... Yesterday I called the paint company to talk about the instruction pertaining to the 60 day limit before the boat must go in the water... Jim (the man in customer service at Trinidad) suggested that since we didn't plan to put the boat in the water till the spring we should still paint ONE coat of bottom paint then next spring give it a light sand and apply the second coat, then launch...

The reason that the boat needs to be launched within 60 days is that the outside of the layer cures too hard to let the copper leach out, thus severely limiting it anti fowling properties.... By sanding and then applying a coat just before launch the surface will be re-softened allowing the copper to leach out properly....

The reason we wanted to test is because of the problem we had with the primer... Over the last few days I have really sanded the epoxy barrier coat and am hoping the bottom paint will adhere properly.... Cross your fingers....

While I was painting, my cell phone went off and it was Brian (one on my welders) who said he had time to come by an weld the tangs for the inner forestay... Great! So as darkness was falling we finished welding on the tangs and figured out how we will repair and re-build the anchor rollers... Hopefully we can do that in the next few days...

I got a call today from Doug at Klacco who had another customer cancel a job thus creating an opening to get my arches built sooner than planned... That means on Monday I have to drive to Grimsby and pick it up and bring it to the boat for a test fit it, then return it to get finished....

What a long, tiring but productive day!


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