Monday, February 25, 2008

Elbow Grease

The number of days before Moonshine is due back in the water is rapidly reducing, so I had to shake off the winter blues and get myself down to Chichester to get her ready. Any work on the deck can wait until she's back in the water, but anything that's going to be close to or under water has to be done pretty much now.

The bottom was power washed when she came out, most of the sea life was blasted off. After two years in the water though, she was looking a bit sad and grubby.




I'd intended to start work at the beginning of February, but the usual inertia meant that it was February 16th when I actually started. However, after two weekends of hard graft, a liberal spattering of blue antifoul and bleeding fingers and knuckles, she now looks like this:





I'm very pleased with myself at the transformation. I wasn't really expecting to get such good results.

There are a few more jobs to be done. Another coat of antifoul on the rudder and the front of the keel. I need to check the mast electrics before it goes back on, and I want to fit a proper ladder at the back, but so far, so good!