Robin's Reports

Friday, March 28, 2008

FLOATABLE NOW!

by Robin

It is amazing how much progress can be seen each day now as things are put back onto the boat and very little is actually slowing down our progress (i.e. rain). Most of the hard work is done and we're down to a list of things to reattach.

Last night's progress: All the drains have been reattached and have been connected to drain fittings & hoses. Bilge pump is working. Note: We were going to paint the floors but realized the boat desperately needed a bath to wash away all the weeks of sanding dust, pollen and oak tree droppings before we could resurface the floors. Drains took priority.

Today's progress: Non-skid surface applied to cuddy top, cuddy step and down the back gunnels and back of transom.

See the difference in the surfaces? This is the gunnel. Top left shiny spot gets a cleat tomorrow. Bottom right is a ledge. Everything else is non-skid.

Top of cuddy cabin & step (unpictured below) were masked off and then non-skid applied with fresh coat of paint. Those circles are just rings of tape Jack had up there. I love this new upgrade and hope this keeps me from falling or slipping. This is my favorite spot to stand on and look for tripletail, cobia or mahi mahi. If I'm lucky, I spot turtles, whales, sharks and way too many balloons from those cruise ships.

Pole holders & outrigger mounts are put back into place after being polished and inserts painted black.

I am standing approx mid-way on the boat, looking back at the cockpit. That whole strip got non-skid painting and then its hardware back.

Can you see the difference with the new white paint and the floor paint? A white floor would look beautiful but in reality, it would blind and bake us in the FL summer sun. The new color will be something between those 2 colors shown in the pic.

We had company a lot of the late afternoon so all work skidded to a stop. The kids met some new friends and it looks like we will be fishing next weekend with the other family. Also, there was some talk about putting together a lady's fishing team for a May tournament. We ladies were very excited but it was hard to convince the guys it was worth their effort and gas money.

Tomorrow: Rehook-up Trim Tab pump, Transducer (to find fish) and all the wires involved. All cleats reattached. That will take both of us. When I have spare time, I need to knock out some more teak sanding & varnishing. (Anchor Locker door shown in 'silvered' state.)