So the last post shows the denuded stern of Sea Sharp. After lunch, we begin the reconstruction. This may not sound like much of a deal to landlubbers, but remember, nothing is level or plumb, we are working on a small platform five feet above ground and there are many variables to consider. Anyway, good progress has been made and the photo for this post shows the two new main members of the new structure. May not seem like much, but stay tuned for progress reports.

Spoke with Judy a couple of times today and we hope for her to fly here probably Saturday or Sunday. Hopefully Sea Sharp will be in the water and our cruise will begin. Life on a boat "on the hard" (sitting on the ground" is not great. Having said that, I'm in the midst of some 250 boats with lots of Canadians around (and plenty of wonderful Americans as well), in 80 degree temperatures so I'm not really complaining. It's just that boats want to be in the water.

In between helping the davit installer, I'm doing lots of chores on the boat. Yesterday was a grimy day. I redid the bottom paint. OK a bit of explanation..... You have to paint the bottom of the boat annually with very expensive and very toxic special paint (contains lots of horrible contents concocted to keep growth from developing on the bottom). So imagine if this paint inhibits critters and vegetation from making the boat bottom their home, it can't be too great for homo sapiens' general well being. First step is to rough sand the bottom so the new coat can adhere. Dressed in full coveralls, rubber gloves, glasses, hat, and face mask, I'm sure I looked like a cross between a street person and a safety officer at Chernobyl. Despite the full body armour, I'm covered with blue dust, the contents of which I'd be scared to list off for fear that my poor mother would read this passage. Next step, tape off the part to be painted from the part not to be painted. They the painting..... This paint is $235.00 per gallon so you don't want to slop it too much and it's miserable stuff. But, to quote Kenneth Grahame from Wind in the Willows: "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." So while it's hot, tedious an potentially, life shortening work, the afternoon vanishes and by the end of the day, I can remove my Chernobyl gear and admire my work.

A couple of my boat buddies, two characters from Winnipeg, wander over and we debrief over a couple of cool ones. As an aside, these to guys are typical, industrious, engaging and self effacing Canucks. Sailboat names are carefully chosen to reflect the owners' lives, emotions, aspirations, partner or offspring. One of the most ubiquitous is Carpe Diem, which is Latin for "Seize the day". I have literally seen dozens of Carpe Diem monikers on sailboats over the years. Well, my friend Bill, from Winnipeg, calls his boat, "Carpe Diem, eh!" An unmistakable Canadian distinction from the plethora of similarly named boats!

Today in between helping the davit installer I decide to examine Judy and my personal life jackets. We have plenty of life jackets on board but we prefer inflatable ones which are unobtrusive and do not inhibit movement as much as the bulky, traditional ones. We normally don't wear life jackets but always do when under way at night and certainly under difficult situations. We always have them handy under all circumstances.

Anyway, these inflatable devices are much smaller and svelte than the others and rely on a CO2 cartridge to quickly inflate them when you pull on a tab should you happen to need to deploy them. As another aside, I always chuckle when I read the admonishment on the tab which is yanked to inflate them, "Jerk to Inflate". It almost makes one reluctant to have to use them as they consider that only a jerk would be in a position to have to inflate one......

But, I digress.... So I buy new cartridges but figure I might as well be the proverbial "jerk" and inflate them. I yank the aforementioned tab and with an air bag-like shock, both vests inflate instantly and majestically. Great to know they work. So now I'll disarm them and reinstall the new CO2 cartridges. Hope to never have to use them for anything but practice......