Evanston: smooth; scream

        Yesterday Bob took these photographs of GANNET.  I thank him.

        When I bought the then GROWLER, she had a  mirror-like racing bottom covered unfortunately for me with VC17, a teflon fresh water only anti-fouling paint.  If you have been here for years, you already know that removing it was the worst task ever on GANNET and perhaps on any boat I’ve owned.  It appears from the photos that her bottom may again be almost as smooth  as when I bought her.

       

        What you are seeing is one of the three anti-osmosis barrier coats.  I am told the last will go on today with the first coat of anti-fouling applied while it is still tacky.  For some reason International does not sell the hard anti-fouling paint I used in New Zealand and South Africa in the color white in the United States, so I have told the boat yard to use Pettit Vivid in white.

       

        Sitting for almost four months, including through a hurricane, makes for a dirty boat.

       

        I see this as a nautical version of Edvard Munch’s THE SCREAM.

        I am back aboard three weeks from yesterday.  Despite being distracted by the pending Hilton Head condo closing, I’m getting excited.