My feet will never be clean again.
25 November 2013 | Penuwasa Boat Yard, Kudat, Malaysia
Sunny and hot.
I'm not sure my feet will ever be clean again. Lava and a scrub brush barely touched the surface of them and we won't even discuss my left knee. I have found that I favor my left knee when I kneel down. It's got so much ground in dirt and old bottom paint, it's permanently dark grey. I'm wearing Crocs so they don't keep out much of anything(including water)but at least they float should I loose one overboard. Maybe someday, I'll have clean feet again.
For the last two day we have thrown everything we have at getting the boat closer to launch. We've ground out a bunch of blisters on the hull and soaked each with Acetone to help dry them out. Do one and see five more. Eventually you have to draw the line as to where you will stop. We could be here for a long time if we did them all as more seem to show up each day. We've done all the big one(size of a 50 cent piece)and even some the size of a quarter. Pound an awl into it and stand back as an acid spurts out of each. Wear eye protection and an air filter over your mouth. This stuff can get nasty. I head for the restroom once I finish just to get any that got on me off.
Yesterday, was patch day. We bought some epoxy filler and we cleaned each area that needed work with acetone to clean it then Juan smeared on some of the filler and I smoothed it over the old blisters. We only did the shallow ones that don't require fiberglassing. Once done, we them mixed up some special paint that will seal out the water from penetrating the repaired area. We also have to do the areas we fill with fiberglass. Heck, we may end up painting the entire hull of the boat. Then there is another barrier coat that has to be rolled on then there is the 2 to 3 boats of bottom paint that has to be rolled on. The last paint we put on was hard enough to get off. With all this prep, I can't imagine what this stuff is going to be like next time.
Juan is out there sanding down the areas we patched yesterday to a nice smooth surface so we go through the water as easily as possible with as little drag as possible.
A couple of days ago, we finally found a restaurant that we both love. It's a small open air canteen that is just off the golf course. They have three burners in the kitchen but concentrate on each dinner before making the rest. I got my chicken curry long before Tracy got her Sweet and Sour Chicken. While being used to the Sweet and Sour Chicken with a thick sweet sauce, this comes almost as a soup with a very thin spicy sauce that Tracy is loving. Spooned over a pile a rice, it's great(and cheap). Dinner last night was $34 ringetts(just over $10US). That included a Chicken Curry meal, a Sweet and Sour Chicken meal and two cokes! We can't make it at the boat for that cheap. Tracy even stood in the kitchen and watched as the Sweet and Sour Chicken was made so she can duplicate once we leave here. Meanwhile, it's throwing our normal diet way out of whack. In stead of a small breakfast, big lunch and snacks for dinner, now it a small breakfast, a decent size lunch and a big dinner. Tracy is having tummy problems again but is enjoying the food so much she can't seem to stop. What we have been having isn't even on the menu. We heard about it from another cruiser that eats every meal there. His boat is so torn up that he either can't or doesn't want to cook his own meals being by himself. We put in an order for Sweet and Sour Prawns for Tracy for tonight. I'll try the Chicken version and not have Curry for a change(surprise!).
With luck, I'll get another photo album in in a couple of days.