GANNET was hauled from the water first thing this morning.
As you can see she came up with a clean bottom. Luis, the diver, did a good job. In scrubbing monthly since last August, he had removed almost all the white Pettit Vivid, which is an ablative paint; so GANNET was back to the barrier coat as I had hoped.
I was very pleased when the remaining diamonds of red VC17 and a strip on one side on the keel I couldn’t reach when GANNET was on her cradle came off easily with acetone.
I filled a few nicks. Then wiped the bottom down with mineral spirits and taped the waterline before noon.
The first coat of black International Ultra, a hard antifouling paint that can be aggressively scrubbed while the boat is in the water, went on after lunch.
Painting was considerably easier with the boat propped by stands than it was when she was on her former trailer. I did most of it sitting down. The yard’s surface is concrete, so I sat on an old cushion.
A second coat goes on tomorrow.
Finally, with GANNET in the travel lift, I’ll paint those areas covered by the prop stands.
We should be back in our slip Wednesday.
My back is feeling the work a bit. I trust ibuprofen and a medicinal sip or two of spirits—as though I didn’t have a sip or two every evening—will effect a cure.
