More specifically I can't figure out how much to thin the paint to make up for the wind and heat of Key West. I was trying to repaint the transom to receive the new name by doing the "roll and tip" technique. I understood (German George told me) that most people who did it down here ended up with the fine finish of stucco instead of a smooth shiny surface. The problem is thinning the paint causes it to dry really fast and then add in the 15 knots of wind in the tropical heat and you've got a problem. The stuff dries so fast you can't keep a wet edge going while you first roll, then tip the paint. Some of the areas worked fine, but the edges between the areas were stucco. If you tried to get overlap it just got worse.
I was standing there wondering how I'd ever get done today so that I could get the lettering on tomorrow, when Cindy Harris and Rich took pity. I paid the experts to straighten out my problem.
This morning I found my new fiberglass blue ladder lying under the boat. Someone had unlocked my cable lock and cut the Kevlar rope tying it to the toe rail. I don't know whether a thief was interrupted or the ladder was just "borrowed". I do know that Bill, the security/night watchman, was not to be seen today. Just another Stock Island mystery.
We're going back to Boca Chica in style Friday. I'm surprised at how much work has been done. the bottom is nearly perfect with only some pitting of the iron keel betraying her age. The electronics are almost finished, The plumbing to the engine is all new and much lower restriction. We have new side windows and much stronger davits. The ladder has been welded and all the thru-hulls are now fiberglass-backed seacocks. All in three weeks!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment