Opua: re-greened
Opua: re-greened
Evening and I am tired.
THE HAWKE OF TUONELA is now sea green rather than teal.
The above photo probably flatters the paint job.
I put the first coat on Friday, but got rained on twice.
When I started, after setting up scaffolding, at 9:00 a.m., the sky was sunny and clear. I did about six feet of the starboard side, working back from the bow, before I had to stop because of rain. This left a hard edge that I subsequently partially sanded out.
An hour later the sky was again clear and sunny and I resumed. This time I had almost completed the entire hull when clouds gathered and it rained again, this time seriously. I was close enough to the end to finish the first coat anyway.
Saturday morning I examined the damage.
I would like to seek perfection, and I knew that I should completely sand the entire port side and the forward third of the starboard; but I also knew that this wasn’t going to happen. I hoped the second coat would cover most of the water-spots, and it did. After all, this is a boat, and I consider a successful paint job one that looks good from the dinghy about a boat length away, not under a microscope. This one does. Or maybe it will require a boat length and a half.
Today I applied the decals for the home port of Boston on the stern, and for the THE and OF TUONELA on the cove stripe. HAWKE and the double stripe and the hawk head and tail I masked and will repaint myself. I also installed replacement bow lights and remounted the Monitor on the stern. This last was as difficult as I expected it to be, took three hours and three different approaches, until I finally achieved success by suspending the gear over the stern by the main halyard and jiggling various holes, tubes, and bolts into alignment.
The boat still lacks a rudder and rudder bearing. I hope the yard does that tomorrow. I very much want to go home to my mooring.
Sunday, December 3, 2006