Work Week Three

Work week 3 has seen me doing more work than I ever have done before in my life. The big push before launch is on. We have had some great weather and got primer and bottom two coats of bottom paint on. One each of a different colour so I can see where I missed. One wee spot is all a toredo worm will want for a snack!

There is nothing like removing a boat's paint to reveal all her secrets, and Dolphin has her share. Fitting for a 60 year old boat, but so far so good. No whole planks need replacing, just some bits thrown in to make her sound. She'll no longer be a racer, however. Racing puts too much strain on her shrouds and stays, opens up the hull like  basket weave. She'll be a cruiser; a little bit slower and not being asked to work too hard to weather.

 When we discovered rot around the cockpit drain holes, Jim found some solid wood for the new holes and put a nice covering plate over the old ones to seal them up until we can make a more complete repair to the cockpit sole. The old fittings had 60 year old gate valves...we now use the beautiful bronze handles as decorative chart-weights.

And here's all I could see of Jim as he wrestled the old drain hoses out. Yep, he can cram himself into

 

... some pretty impressive places!

Jim has replaced just about every hose, wire and battery. After he changed all the injector hoses the engine started with only minor complaint...then we realized we had to turn the key and push a button heh, heh! We have sealed up some port leaks, companionway leaks and just plain old leaky leaks. I'll have to keep stuffing more leak-stoppy-stuff into the forward deck posts, or I'll never sleep when it rains!

 

So here's Super Jim, happy with the warm spell, glad to be out of that engine area.

And this is me, photo taken Monday, May 6 on the eve of our 7th wedding anniversary. We met because of another old woodie, Chelonidae. God help all poor wooden boat aficionados!

And below is a shot that reminds us of why we are getting up at dawn, getting covered in sanding dust, wearing masks to keep noxious fumes out of our blood streams, balancing on ladders to carry heavy items, swinging hammers, sanding again, painting, getting neck cramps from overhead work, getting sunburned one day and chilled the next, cheering (and I mean Cheering!) when launch day was pushed back by one day, then by three. Watching facebook posts from other friends who are already out there doing it. All this...for one rum punch!