After Clive did the pressure washing in cold but dry conditions yesterday (anything but dry for him), Dean gave Jubilee two coats of blacking in warm and sunny conditions today. The weather's getting a bit like it was two years ago when Dean did our blacking - not quite as warm, though.
The water pump hasn't leaked any more, so that's good. I rigged up a 12V fan in the water pump box to try to dry the woodwork out; that was very effective. The dark, damp stain has almost vanished and the wood is dry to the touch.
This is what our stem post has looked like where it meets the base plate ever since we've owned the boat.
The projection under the water line collects a good deal of what the bow meets in the water, usually reeds and small branches. This can slow progress considerably and has annoyed me many times. Every so often while under way Jan steers and I lean over the bow with a boat hook and hoik the debris clear.
I asked about getting this nasty jutting out bit of metal ground off, but Dean advised against it as it would mean cutting off the weld. Not a good idea.
This evening, though, while we are still in the air and after the blacking has been completed, I had an idea.
I scraped up from the concrete hard standing dollops of congealing spilt blacking and smeared them in the recess.
What do you think? I don't suppose it will last long, but we'll see in the next few days how effective it is. The Leicester Section, especially between Foxton and Watford, seems always to have lots of floating organic matter.
While Dean was spreading the black stuff around, a boat with a name I recognised from the blogosphere pulled up on the service mooring. It was
What a Lark with Dave and Lisa. It was good to meet them; we had a good chat. Hope to see you again on the cut some time.
I did some preparation for touching up. This is the red tunnel band with splodges of primer.
Earlier I had scraped and sanded the rusty bits under the gunnels and above the rubbing strake (what is this area called?), then applied Fertan. I had expected to be able to do the painting tomorrow at my leisure, but we were told that the boat would be going back in the water at about 1000. Another early up for me, then, so I can get it painted (and replace the fenders - and weed hatch plate!) before that deadline.
Tomorrow should see the cabin bilge pumped dry again, some inspection of the water pump and a look at the charging system.
2 comments:
I would have been inclined to ask to built up the gap with weld, removing the 'collection scoop' and adding extra strength in this area.... maybe a job for the next time you are blacked.
I did suggest that to Dean, who was doing the blacking, but he didn't seem too keen. Perhaps I should have just asked in the office. As you say, something for next time we're out of the water. Oh - the extra blacking I stuffed in this area had softened and slipped down in this morning's warm full-on sun! I tried to mould it back into place before it went into the water, hoping that the cold would shock it into staying in place.
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