As we left the boat last time we sealed up all the windows and vents as another boat moored nearby, who had had the same treatment recently, gave us a tip off. The material used for sand blasting is very fine and penetrates into the boat wherever it can find a way. The boat was pulled out of the water the next week and taken to the far corner of the marina, well away from boats and other painting projects.
We also had to arrange separately with a boat painter to paint the black above the top rubbing strake - the paint here is different from that below the waterline and the marina only do the blacking.
Updates were sent to us during the time at home and we were satisfied that everything was on track for the boat to go back in the water at the end of last week - the holiday weekend complicated arrangements. Invoices were received and paid so hopefully the work is OK, but we are not really able to make much of a judgement as we have no experienced at all of steelwork being taken back to bare metal.
Altogether it turned out to be a bit more expensive than planned at the outset and even unexpected things happened in the course of doing the work. However, we do normally plan on blacking every two years or so - it can be left longer but runs the risk that the hull deteriorates quicker than it should.
Easter Day and we had a commitment in the morning (Memory Friendly Service at 10:30 which Christine organises and Mike is technical aide) However, we also decided to join the combined churches dawn service on St Breoke Downs where, alongside the Longstone a very ancient landmark, we awaited the sunrise. Perhaps for the first time, we were able to see a full event with the first tip of the bright red disk peeping up over the horizon just a couple of minutes after the scheduled time. In the past it has sometimes taken rather longer as cloud or haze just above the horizon obscured the first light. This time was very spectacular - helped by the spell of very fine weather that we are enjoying these few days.
Just after half past twelve we were able to set off on the journey up to Droitwich, arriving around 4:30 with one comfort break at Michaelwood. The motorway was generally quiet and only a tiny number of vehicles other than cars, caravans and camper vans.
We soon discovered why we had taped up all of the vents - the inside was nevertheless a bit dusty and the outside clearly in need of a very good clean! The still-warm evening made it possible to work trough to nearly 8, by which time we were both exhausted and glad that we had brought a prepared meal with us.
This morning we made a reasonably prompt start to the rest of the cleaning. Last night Christine had managed to remove the majority of the dust inside and Mike had cleaned the roof and hozed own the cab sides as well as the fore and aft decks. Today, the sides were washed with Flash to remove as much pf the remaining dust as possible and then a further wash with car shampoo - this made sure that the Flash was did not leave anything to damage the paint and the leave the surface almost ready for use. However, to give us the best start to the season, a final stage was to polish with Bullitt carnuba wax.
When one side was finished, using the pontoon for better access, we turned the boat around to do the second side. Finally, we manoeuvred the boat a second time back to its normal position, stern to the bank.
It was not possible to tape up the two front lockers and they were especially dusty - but every time we washed the decks down, somehow another source of sand came out! A couple of nets of logs in the bow well deck seemed to have attracted more than most.
By four o'clock, with the inside now very much more like its proper self and the outside polished and the windows cleaned - one of the last places to find sand was in the narrow trough where the hopper window glass sits. Once Mike had removed the glass to give it a thorough wash (the masking tape proved a bit harder to remove than we would have wished but better than cabins filled with sand!) Christine cleaned them out with an old toothbrush.
Yesterday of course, the supermarkets were closed all day so we now needed some shipping - we had set four o'clock as the final deadline for cleaning - most shops were open today but closing early. the car park was almost deserted and the shops remarkably quiet.
Of course, we will be discovering places we missed cleaning for some days yet but we are rather pleased - as well as totally shattered - with how the boat now looks inside and out. Shame about those windows that are still smeary! Tomorrow, Andrew will join us in the morning and we can set off for the season. We have booked in to a marina near to the Anderton Lift for our next spell at home as we would like to visit Liverpool which we much enjoyed several years back.
However, the time at home will be another energetic task as by then our kitchen refit should be complete - the last five days since the work began were rather fraught but at least we have found things that we can do in a microwave that we have never tried before - such as hard boiling and egg!
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