As I wrote last month, I’ve slowed my time on this boat not knowing when launch dates may be available. So I go only on the weekends my wife works. There were two weekends this month. However, a third weekend came into play, I was all set to go when I learned protesters were making things amuck and bailed out.

Eight of the remaining 20 projects I have planned for this winter are variations of prepping for paint, or painting. Of which I spend most of my time this month.

312. As I didn’t have the yard pressure wash the bottom when the boat was pulled out of the water in the fall in order to have the water scum line remain around the boat to re-adjust the bootstripe/waterline the bottom is dirty. I pressure washed the bottom for spring prep.

313. There are 20 cubby holes as I count them. Since we started almost 3 years ago, 5 have been painted. This winter I decided to slowly work at doing 1/2 of the remaining and the other half next winter.  Of the 5 cubby holes around the boat that have been scraped, sanded, cleaned, then with use of liquid sandpaper, a 70+ degree day provided the opportunity to put paint on, with the before and after pictures (44 years since first, and last, coat of paint). Once the paint dried, I used wire ties to clean up the two cubbies with electronics in them.

314. While prepping one cubby, part of the tabbing had a crack. It’s hard to believe I keep finding problems after all I have done and inspected. The next day I fiberglassed in new tabbing.

315. A tooth on a gear in one winch broke last year, I spent a lot of time trying to track down a replacement. Finally settled on buying a matched used winch just for the one part I needed. It was a real cluster, guy sent me the wrong winch, and finally the right winch, with all of the back and forth it took 3 months to accomplish. Having removed this winch and its mate on the other side of the boat, I tore them down, cleaned the interior pieces, greased and oiled the components, then remounted the winches onto the deck.

Having read up on good ways to caulk fittings to the deck, there’s a lot of logic out there. In the case of the fittings I am re-installing now, they all carry strong loads. Sure I put caulk down the holes thru the deck, I cover the threads of the bolts before inserting, but one article I read made a lot of sense.  You’re always mounting one flush surface to another flush surface and cranking the nuts and bolts tight – squeezing the caulk out between the two with nothing left. After cleaning the two surfaces, I countersink the hole going through the deck, so now there is a reservoir of caulk right around the perimeter of the hole that is compressed when the nuts and bolts are tightened.

316. As I continue to removed leaks from the boat, one is still coming from the lower bearing flange on the rudder post. I sand and clean the fiberglass and bronze, then applied 5200 which is a tenacious permanent caulk. Fingers crossed.

The next owner is really going to enjoy this boat.

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