The annual ritual of sanding and painting the bottom is a little like having babies. It is merciful that it only comes around once a year which gives you time to forget just how miserable it really is!!Charis survived the winter magnificently in her shrink wrap cocoon. Everything was exactly as we left it and even the batteries retained most of their charge. Last years bottom paint more or less died over winter and we elected to remove it lest the new paint not adhere. Soooo two days working under the boat with a heavy vacuum assisted sander (heavy!) got the bottom pristine and then morning and afternoon rolled coats of paint and a morning of painting the white boot stripe finished the job and us!!
In the water on Tue 6 May and wonder of wonders all systems revived in order and it floated. Then began the transition from camper to boat with an amazing pile of stuff we seem to have brought with us. Thank goodness we have the truck!
By noon Wed most of the stuff had found a home and the good life aboard began again. The weather has been perfect albeit a bit chilly at night with the blankets always in the wrong vehicle/boat.
Tomorrow, Thursday, will involve a commissary run with the rest of the day devoted to just lazing on the poop deck and enjoying God's creation, watching for the Spring arrival of baby ducks and swans.
Friday we will begin to think about a few small maintenance chores and what happens next. (Shhhh, not to fear, the Admiral has a honey do list, ready and waiting to be implemented. Don't want the Captain to get into cruise time too quickly. They say you last longer if you have an irritant in your life ;-)).
All in all a great start to the Summer. More dirty pictures at picasaweb.google.com/lropka in album Splash 5/6/08
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