Painting Progress Report

There hasn't been much to report on in the last 5 days, which have been dedicated to the quarter berth painting effort. 

I knew that I would need more paint but was reluctant to purchase an entire 4 liter can because I definitely do not want to carry any leftovers to Australia, no matter how valuable they may be.  Fortunately on Monday night I realized that my near empty 4 liter can would provide both the container and the required color for an additional 2 liters of paint, and if the same paint magician was there he would have no problem in matching the color.  Everything went like clockwork.  I showed up at 1 PM on Tuesday, there were no other customers in the shop, and I had the paint man all to myself.  He brought an empty used 4 liter can from the rear, put 2 liters of white paint in it, then started his magic show with the paint tinting.  Half way through the operation I said "perfecto", but it wasn't good enough for him.  A little squirt of this, a dash of that, a few drops of another, then it was he who said "perfecto".  He poured the remnants of my paint into the "new" can and soon I was on my way.

Starboard Quarter Berth Cleared For Painting

At this point I have finished laying the second coat in the port quarter berth and have started preparation on the starboard side.  The starboard side will be easier because there is less wiring and no engine controls to deal with.  However, it has required more preparation because there was more mold, dirt, and grease from the steering arm that protrudes into the section.  I also took a one-hour detour to identify some wiring.  Two sets were legitimate, one for the gas detector in the lazarette and the other for the gas solenoid valve. I've taken to labeling wires with "Dymo" labels: I click out the label then wrap it around the wire sticking it to itself. This seems to work fine and being plastic should be durable in damp conditions.    A third single wire led nowhere, with neither end connected.  I removed it with great relish.

At this point I've cleaned the area out with a mixture of water, detergent, and bleach.  Tomorrow I'll begin the 2-day job of removing the dried contact glue. 

The photos represent a sort of "before" and "after" contrast. 

Port Quarter Berth Painted

On the starboard side you can see the last of the glued on carpeting that I so much love to hate.  It took only 10 minutes to remove it, and will take to days to remove the glue.  The large black hose leads to the second cockpit bilge pump, which is an aluminum "Whale Gusher" which I found to be in remarkably good condition when I took it apart at my home in Darlington.  The hose lays rather flat, with no strainer at the end, in the inaccessible section below the cockpit.  I figure that the boat would have to take on an awful lot of water before the entire end of the hose is immersed.  Two, if not all four, of the batteries under the cockpit will have to be removed in order to install the Dynaplate RF grounding shoe when the boat is hard standed.  At that time I will visit the end of the hose, put a proper end piece on it, possibly reposition it in a lower part of the bilge, and definitely test it.  That box section at the rear lower right covers the steering arm which protrudes into the section.  It gives me a reasonable portal to that end of the under cockpit area.

On the port side you can get an idea of what the finished product will look like.  I will have to varnish the facing that covers the stringer and of course remount all of the wiring and fixtures.   You can see one of the two stainless steel diesel tanks, each holding 70 liters or 18.5 gallons.  Unfortunately the top access to these tanks have been blanked off and I am not able to plumb them.

The coming week will be more of the same.

Dymo Tags: On the reverse sides are "solenoid" and "detector"

However, in response to gentle nagging - Oops, I mean encouragement! - from Brenda I have obtained from Al an excellent self-paced Spanish language course of one lesson per day for 28 days that includes good audio feedback, at which time it is alleged that I will be conversant in Spanish.  (We'll see, though my past life as a Spanish speaker will give me an edge.)