Well before the "after" shots, we'll regale you with a couple of work in progress photos. After a good power washing and sanding but before painting, the bottom of our fiberglass beast looked like dying animal.
And the guy doing the work looked other worldy as well. Oh, wait, that's my husband. He got to do all of the toxic, back breaking work alone since my little nursling prevented me from participating as usual. I am thinking more protective wear might be advisable dear.
Finally after 10 days we were clear to put the boat back in the water. Zach was over the moon happy. As much as we LOVE our dear friends I & C who housed us for those days, and as much fun as we all had bring roommates... I have to say... I truly dislike living on land. I fear I may be ruined for life after 13+ year living aboard. It was like a sensory deprivation experiment for all of us. Living in a box, not hearing the rain, not feeling the sun, not knowing when the wind changes directions. As much as the unlimited free laundry rocked, I am not sure it was a fair trade for a life afloat. We were so happy to be home and even happier that home was all waxed and shiny and fresly bottom painted (the bottom paint keeps little eco-systems from growing down there.)
The fella sporting the remote control let Zach play with the buttons this time. I had truly mixed feelings about that.
So we're back, and we're woefully behind on, well, everything. But we'll get back up to speed. Eventually. For now we're just basking in the glow of our sweet little home sweet home.
(Since I already got a few emails this morning asking, these pants are from
BabeAGoGo on etsy.She does them in all kinds of colors!)
I am back this morning to add the lyrics to my pal Eileen Quinn's song about hauling your boat out and working on it. If you are nautically inclined and don't know about Eileen's music, you MUST go buy one of her CD's right away. She is HILARIOUS!
It's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard hard life, life on the hard.
Sun and salf take their toll on the little boat and me
She needs a coat of bottom paint and a little TLC
Ain't no way around it, gotta haul out on the hard
It's time to go cruising in the working yard.
Scraping off the bottom paint and sanding down the hull,
Shortening my life span with some toxic chemicals.
Sanding off my fingerprints along with all of the paint,
It's good to see a job well done but darlin' fun it ain't.
Varnishing my brightwork, what a pretty boat
Now the guy upwind has just begun to grind off his gel coat.
So I sand again, coat again, looks wonderful,
Just in time to take the oversprat when he paints his hull.
Midnight down the ladder to the Johnny-On-The-Spot
Hope they keep the doberman locked in the long term lot.
Now the night watchman is trigger happy, I hope he don't shoot me,
Hate to think I bought it going for a pee.
For every job crossed off my list I seem to add two more,
I blinked and one week in the yard somehow ran to four.
With a credit card and a little luck, soon we'll be afloat.
Please Mister Lift Driver, please don't drop my boat!
Check out Eileen's music
here!
