Thought it might be interesting to make a regular post on the progress of repairing Stap Isi. Right now, since it is costing us about $US 20 a day to have the boat in the slipway, I am pretty much fully engaged in getting these repairs done as quickly as possible.
This morning I picked up a couple of the PBT workmen and we got over to the slip at about 8:30 AM. There were two workers from the slipway waiting for us so I handed out a bunch of sandpaper and we all got to work sanding the hull. Since I had just scrapped off the hull a few days before it was really in pretty good shape. But there was still quite a bit of residue from barnacles and mollusks to be removed.
Areas where I had to grind off the blisters. We painted around these areas until I can get them filled.
One of the problems with fibreglass boats is that water can get under the outer layer (something called gel coat) and make blisters. There were several places on the keep and rudder and a few on the hull itself where I found those blisters. So while the guys were sanding, I took a hand grinder and ground out the gel coat and fiberglass until all the material over the water, and the water itself, was removed. Tomorrow I will fill those areas with epoxy.
By lunch time we had finished the sanding and were ready for the first coat of paint. I wanted to get the painting done so that we could reposition some of the blocks that were holding the boat in place. As it is now, there is no way to get the prop shaft out because there are some blocks in the way. My idea was to get a coat of paint on Wednesday and one on Thursday morning, and then Thursday afternoon when it had dried we will reposition the blocks.
After lunch we brought out the bottom paint, rollers, and brushes. The bottom paint that we use has a high concentration of copper. It is the copper that keeps the critters at bay. With two guys using rollers and two using brushes it took only about an hour to put on the first coat. We left bare the areas I had ground off until I could get those areas filled with epoxy.
The bow with its nice new paint job.
By 2:30 PM the boat was actually looking nice, at least below the water line. The shiny red bottom paint contrasted with the blue topside paint and made for a good looking boat. About the time we were getting ready to leave, the manager of the slipway ambled over and looked at the new paint. Now just to bring you up to speed, I had told him on Tuesday that I intended to put a coat of bottom paint on before we finished work on Wednesday. Then this morning while we were sanding I told him again that we were going to put the first coat on today, the second on Thursday, then we would move the blocks, and I would have all of Easter weekend to work on the bearing. He said fine.
But this afternoon as he was looking at the new paint he said, “In this climate we have to get the boats back in the water within 48 hours of putting on the bottom paint or it all bubbles off in the heat.” I was flabbergasted. I had told him at least twice and maybe more of our plans and my time schedule. It was going to be at least a week before we would be ready to put the boat back in the water. But he waited until the paint was on before mentioning the problem with the heat. Anyone who has worked with Melanesians knows the feeling. For some reason it is indelicate to mention potential problems before action is taken. But it is perfectly OK to bring them up after the die has been cast, so to speak.
The newly painted stern.
Later I checked the specs for this paint and it showed that I had a month to get the boat back into the water after painting. I felt better after that but I suppose we will have to wait and see who is right, the manufacturers or the slipway manager.
Otherwise, I feel good about the progress that we have been making. If I can get the prop shaft out and the cutlass bearing changed before Tuesday, we should have the boat back in the water by Wednesday. Pray for our progress if you will.