As well as gaining a shiny new (ish) hull we will need to fit new anodes. We will fit 8 anodes in total.
4 x 4 kg bar anodes,
2 x 2.3 kg pear anodes
2 x 1 kg disc anodes for the rudder.
Engine bay work
We started prepping the engine bay which will our focus over the next few weeks - grinding, painting etc. Also measured up the space for fuel and water tanks which need to be made up and fitted. All before the return of our refurbished engine
Another weekend, another paint job
Deux has been on the hard for a year now and we are under pressure to get her back in the water. No engine or tanks have been fitted yet, but it would be nice to feel her float again (and not have to climb up and down the ladder). We spent the weekend applying a second coat of epoxy paint (such a messy job). Next we will apply an undercoat and lastly the antifoul. We still have some welding to be done on the deck and some woodwork to be attended to, but we are almost water tight and then its back into the water. We are planning to refit the engine and tanks while she is in the water but if necessary we will lift her back out.
Our logo
Thanks to genius (and patience) of Vanessa Weber Designs, we have an official logo - and love it! Thank you Vanessa. She knew exactly what we wanted just from a few conversations / emails. Cannot fault her professionalism and her sage advice.
Treasure Hunt
I was set to task to look for “a chunk of metal with a split on the one side, somewhere under the boat”. Patrick recalled seeing it about a 8 months ago when he was crawling around. He realised last week that this “chunk of metal” formed part of the rope cutter and would cost in the region of £400 to replace.
Here was the challenge: in the past year, the boat has been lifted back into the water and out again, re-positioned on the blocks. We have had months of rain, the boat has been shot blasted twice. Almost half the hull ground away and new plates welded in with men crawling around under the boat. The ground is just grimy, oily, mud!
Despite all that… using a piece of wood and adopting squirrel like movements, I found it. Felt like I had won the lottery! It cleaned up nicely too.
It takes a village...
After dipping, the hull needed some grinding to remove a little residual rust and then painting. Just when we thought we were never going to get done before the rain came, friends arrived, grinders at the ready and paint overalls on standby. Cannot put into words how happy this made us. The job was over in a few hours instead of days.
Oooops.
Getting the galley hull cleaned of rust, using a needle gun. We did wonder if there were any really weak spots. Looks like the answer is “yes”
Went to visit our sick engine
Popped over to Rowlands Plant Hire Services, Portsmouth, to visit our sick engine. Verdict was mixed - some good news and some bad news (followed by plan A-Z).
Moving Day
Sadly we got to the stage where staying on the boat while doing renovations was just becoming unbearable. So we hired a transit van and after 12 hours of packing we finally fitted a 34ft classic steel motorboat into a van. Getting the van home was easy - we then had to fit it all into the house !!
A much needed break !! - (27 Dec- 7 Jan)
After what feels like years of working (lovingly) fixing, repairing and improving our favourite girl, we are going to close up the varnish tin, close up the hardener and epoxy, close up the paint tins, switch off the sander, put down the sandpaper and paint-bushes (in the meantime I will put down the whip, although I won’t put it away…..). We are going to stock the fridge, fill up the lockers, restock the wine and rum, fill up the fuel and water, plug in the ice-maker, charge up the kindle, plug in the heater, leave the marina and spend some time away. The plan ….. do as little as humanly possible.
We aim to spend a few nights in some of our favourite places on and around the Isle of Wight, with New Years Eve in Cowes.
We will start at Bembridge Harbour for two nights, Cowes (Shepards Wharf) for three nights, Lymington for two nights, Yarmouth for two nights, then back to Cowes for one night and then home. As much as we would love a night in Newton Creek, without a reliable generator we will be without heat, so we will skip that for now and save that piece of paradise for summer.
I will keep you updated as we enjoy our trip and hope you will enjoy it with us.