Painting, Storage

Painted Cylinder

Last week I picked up my port quarter berth mattress (which had been stored in the bodega) and the navigation seat cushion from Carmen, who had made fitted covers for them with material that I had supplied.  She charged something like 160 pesos ($10) for her work, so I gave her 200 pesos then another 20 because the end of the mattress was impregnated with oil which had caused her problems.   I put the mattress on the jetty and thoroughly soaked in in warm soapy water then squeezed hard to force out the oil.  I then let the mattress dry for several days and the result was very good. 

The return of that mattress led to a minor cascade of activity.  To put the mattress back into position I would have to first clear out the quarter berth area.  It then made sense to paint the hundreds of screw tips that I had ground down with the Dremel tool after Reggie's teak work while the area was clear.  I retrieved the near empty can of Imron paint from to bodega and the few ounces of paint at the bottom was still flowing freely.  I prepared a mixture of 2 oz of paint then touched up all of the screw in both quarter berth areas and the crossover between them.  I spent a cramped night with a cabin full of the contents of the quarter berths.

Starboard storage.  Fuel in foreground.

Must keep clear of refrigerator compressor

A friend suggested just in time that I paint the rusty gas cylinder that Rick had donated to me.  My first reaction was that it would be a waste of time to pretty up a cylinder that I would have to dispose of after I reached Australia, but I came around to the idea when I realized that the cylinder will be under a lot of stress from salt water and it would be prudent to protect the metal with paint.  A pinhole leak in the cylinder could lead to a catastrophe.  Besides, I might be able to hand off the cylinder to another cruiser either in Cape Town or Fremantle.

Storage only in aft section of port side

The next morning I did a quick hand sanding job to remove the bad rust and some of the flaking paint.  I removed two labels and cleaned off the remaining glue with solvent.  Then I painted the cylinder with a coat of 2-part white primer.  I needed to lay down that primer because I knew that I'd be lucky to have enough paint for even one top coat.  I then mixed another 3 oz of paint and put a second coat of touch up on the screws as well as a couple of places in the cockpit that I had previously patched with epoxy.  I then had just enough paint to complete a top coat on the cylinder.  I then managed to mix another tablespoon or so of paint out of the can and used it for a second coat on the cockpit patches and touch up work on the cylinder.  That was the end of my $200 liter can of Imron paint: I had used every last milliliter of it.  Very satisfying.  There was a second night in a cramped cabin.  By then I had figured out that this was my chance to fill up all available storage space below the quarter berths, which would mean the beginning of the process of retrieving items from the bodega.

Mattress with new fitted sheet back in place

Yesterday morning was showtime at the bodega.  It involved unpleasant business of wading through the material in the storage locker and making decisions on what to keep and what to leave.  I'll be leaving most 110 V electrical equipment and cabling, such as two electric kettles, a toaster, a fan, an fan heater, and a clock radio.  I made the painful decision of leaving a 25 lb fisherman's anchor (still leaving me with 4 anchors, including both Swarbricks).  The two 5-ft long wooden boat fenders that Arnold and I put together in Kingston passed muster.  So did the back cushion of the navigation table seat, even though it is takes up valuable seating space and I am unlikely to use it again (but is nevertheless part of the boat.)

By 1 PM the storage lockers were filled and all items in them cataloged.  I can't complain about the result.  The aft section of the boat is more crowded, but manageable and certainly a vast improvement on the situation since leaving Australia.  The V-berth area up front is still fairly empty and I will utilize that space for clothes and last minute material that needs a home.  My indispensable companion, the fold-up bicycle that Brenda purchased for me in Richmond CA as a Christmas gift in Nov 2009 will have to stay because of its space and weight.  It owes me nothing.  It has been my main mode of transport during my 18 months in La Paz and I have used it heavily.