So when I left off with the last post (sounds morbid doesn't it?), I had just fixed the stove.

Next day, they moved Sea Sharp from the "storage" yard to the "working" yard. This is required 'cause if you are doing work on your boat, specifically, on the bottom, you have to be in a more environmentally secure area. Let me explain.... The paint that is put on the bottom of boats is evil stuff. It's function is to ward off the various types of growth that at the least can significantly slow a boat down and at worse can cause longer term damage to the hull. So various toxic materials are used for this very expensive paint which usually needs to be redone once a year.

The boat is moved to an a working area where a large tarp is placed under her. Then comes the purgatory, if not hell. I got a full coverall suit, as well as a mask, rubber gloves, etc and proceed to sand the bottom to get rid of the slough and the roughness. This took a whole afternoon and despite the equipment I had on, my ears were full of toxic blue paint. It was hot and miserable.

Next morning, I purchased a gallon of paint ($250 us), taped the waterline and proceeded to paint the bottom. Another miserable job but one which at the end shows great, if only temporal, results. Sea Sharp is now ready to "splash."

I deliberately overlooked one very complicated process which I had done to prepare for the installation of my new wind generator but that'll be another post by itself.

So, we're supposed to launch early the next morning..... Well, around noon, the travel lift trundles down and lifts Sea Sharp but only returns late in the day to put her in the water. This is always a very tense time as when the boat goes in the water you worry about what might leak and go wrong. Immediately upon launch, you go below, open or lift all the floor boards which access through-hull fittings (essentially holes in the bottom with pipes to either bring in raw water or dispel grey water). Sea Sharp was fine.

Next nail biting event is to start the engine. Like my Dad used to say, she started just as I shook the keys; before I even turned the ignition.

I bring her to a slip and clean her up as best I can for the arrival of the Admiral and Mascot.