The novelty of this haulout thing has worn off and the days are running together. Mudding and sanding, sanding and mudding. Progress is measured in percentages.
But the end is in sight. Tomorrow we’re hoping to start the barrier coat. It may reveal some spots that need more fairing, but I’m okay with that. Just give me something I can check off the list.
The bridgedeck is still a question mark. How long do we let it dry? We’ve got 3,600W of lights pointed at it now, and it’s making a difference, but it’s slow.
The guy who runs the TraveLift here has been doing it for twenty-something years. He’s very good at it. Sure, he’s dropped a couple boats. But how do you learn not to drop them if you never have, right? So he’s the guy you want lifting your boat. But he somehow got it in his head that boats must be blocked at a five degree incline. I watched him block Take Two this way, and thought it was weird, but didn’t immediately see a problem. Well, it’s been rainy recently and I can tell you, it’s a problem. Think five degrees isn’t much? Jack one end of your dining room table up six inches and see how you like that. You’ll have gravy in your peas for sure. God intended dining room tables and catamarans to be flat. Anything else is just wrong.
Apparently, Take Two’s port-side mast chainplates leak. Thank you Billy, I never would have had the joy of discovering that if you hadn’t blocked my boat so they sat an inch deep in rainwater.