Finishing touches and bizarre finds

Unrecognizable hull

 As we had thought, her hull had quite an impressive collective of sea life!  This photo looks like the inside of a cave, full of stalactites!!  Surprisingly enough, it didn't take very long until all the hangers on had been successfully knocked off.
When the boat is still wet, it makes it easier to scrape and scrub her clean.  After hauling out, we had a fair few onlookers, some merely there as they had nothing better to do, but later tourists welding cameras, fascinated by how a boat looks not only out of the water, but what attaches itself over time.

João, who used to fish for salmon in the North Atlantic lends a hand with the cleaning.  (I bet he's gutted he doesn't even like salmon!)  Actually he's a great guy to know and a gem to have working in the boatyard.

Bottom scraping in action

We also on our hull scraping adventure, did discover something that could possibly belong to someone.   In the unlikely event that they dropped off onto the slipway at Santa Lucia, they are here, awaiting collection.

But be warned, do not delay, as the jet wash has been very active and there is always the possibility they have already been washed down the slip and back into the water.

 

                                       Begs the question....?

Numerous times the hull was rinsed with sweet water.  It's important to make sure all the last traces of salt water are removed, to help with the bonding when its time to anti-foul, and sometimes just good fun to have a quick water fight!

All clean and ready for the anti-foul

The noise of both sander and grinder could be heard, passing over the hull, prior to yet another rinse down,  before we remove the lid to the beautifully coloured yet highly poisonous paint. Two coats later the hull looks excellent and she's just about ready to return to the water.

Pristine boat and happy grafters

 There's always something going on in a boatyard and sometimes some gems are missed as you are prostrate under the hull, making sure nothing nasty falls into your eyes, whilst grafting against gravity.  (Even with eyewear, it can happen!).  We were blessed this day as Sr Cinco Irmãos (Mr Five Brothers) was painting away on his fishing boats tender.  It just goes to show that builders bottoms are not exclusive to building sites!!

Cheeky!

Before I pack up and get ready for a small tour (all will be revealed) I almost forgot to show you my decks....

Mid way to finishing

This photo shows that the coachroof has been filled and the outer decks yet to finish filling.  However, I am pleased to say, it is complete and here's the finished effect.  Beauty! Isn't she!!?

A Different Kind of Haul-Out

Before you say, where are the actual sailing photographs, you have to get real.  It's not all about hoisting your sails, switching off the engine, while dolphins play and swoop alongside and sailing into the sunset.  In fact, most of the time, maintenance takes precedence.  Boat ownership is likened to standing under a cold shower, whilst tearing up €50 notes.  (I can think of extremely pleasant ways of taking a shower, but I wouldn't be able to publish them here!!).  But let's face it, we are blessed with being part of a small boating community, in the village of Santa Lucia, where the weather is more clement than say, the East coast of England. 

'Tow boat' approaches

On this day we are all lending our hands to help Jenny haul her sailboat out of the water, for a good old scrub down and repaint.  Once more the wind forecast was not particularly accurate, but at least favorable for us and our manoeuvre.

The added obstacle is, earlier her engine refused to start, but we won't let that stop us getting her boat on the trolley.  We will simply raft up with another vessel and 'tow' her ashore.

Dave (Mr Jangle) has very kindly offered to be that boat and this is how it went.....in stills and moving images!!

Rafted Up!!

Chocks Away!

As majestic as swans on a pond, we glide towards the slipway...

Mr Jangle departs, leaving us safely aboard the trolley...

Sitting Pretty

An exceedingly happy, but shy skipper...!!

Now the hard work will begin, as the sailboat hadn't moved all winter, she had an entire supply of seafood, enough to feed half the village, stuck to the hull. 

Tickety-boo

Tickety-Boo! An expression meaning 'doing all right', came to mind this morning while I was adding to my To Do and To Buy list.  I spotted a photograph of my old ensign and thought 'Ahh yes, perhaps it is time to update to a larger flag'.  In fact if my memory serves me correctly, it is in fact a courtesy flag.  Courtesy flags are flown starboard side of the vessel, usually just below the spreaders, to, well show courtesy to the country whose waters one is sailing in.  If you look real close at photo, you can make out what's left of my Portuguese courtesy flag.  After a sailing season, the relentless wind usually removes most of the outer red part of the flag, leaving a pathetic strip of faded green and it's anybodies guess as to which country the flag actually represents.

Tickety-Boo may well have originated in Scotland, but like Wikipedia, take caution and please don't go quoting me! For I may have to add that it also could quite likely have been born from the Hindi expression, "Tickee Buu", meaning 'everything's ok' which has a certain head wobbling charm, and also has a variety of different spellings, "Diggity-Boo" or "Tiggety Boo".  

So my courtesy come ensign flag is just not Tickers.  Or rather it has more Boo than Tick, so it is time to give it a graceful send off and purchase a bolder one.  I'm not really the type to go for something double duvet size, that drapes down into the water, like ah say the Americans! (I kid you not).  But it will be something slightly larger than the size of a  pocket hankerchief. 

Wind Blooper

Remember when weatherman Mr Michael Fish made a complete arse of himself live on TV in 1987......??

At first light, when the canines are stirring and stretching while making all those squeaks, burps and yawn noises with one purpose and one purpose only in mind; to simply wake you up, I usually turn over and try and get back to sleep.  But on this occasion I got up, put on the kettle and booted up the notebook.  Windguru burst into life and the wind forecast was variable and gave nothing stronger than a whistle at 8 knots an hour.  A perfect painting day, I thought.

By the time I reached the boat, the wind was already increasing from the South West at 10 knots per hour and by the time I had popped the lid on the can of paint, it was gusting to 20 knots per hour, which steadily increased to 30 knots per hour.  Or put another way, 10 metres per second, or 40 kms per hour or on the Beaufort scale  5-6. (Navtex gave a report of wind from the North West, totally wrong direction!).  Not exactly conducive to applying paint.  If I wasn't careful, I and the boat could end up resembling a Jason Pollock painting!

My only saving grace was the paints' consistency.  Honey like.

The moral of this post is expect the unexpected and if I happen to see Mr WindGuru strolling down the street, I shall hurl my latté laced with extra cream over him, even if I don't drink it and who knows or cares where the nearest Starbucks is.  It would merely give me immense pleasure to do so, because after all, the weather forecasters who don't have a degree in meteorology should expect nothing less!!

BBC weather blooper by Michael Fish storm of 1987

http://youtu.be/uqs1YXfdtGE

A condescending Mr Fish ends up wishing he had kept his mouth firmly closed!