Progress goes in fits and starts; is frequently weather dependent and/or dependent on the availability of knowledgeable/expert help with a particular project. Dorothy and are are working harder than (I think) people our age should work, falling into bed at night and hauling ourselves out in the morning accompanied by much moaning and groaning. I'm not sure what Rusty & Rascal make of it, although they're not getting much off-the-boat time (other than morning and night P&P runs (via dog crate elevator).

The repair of our Bodega Bay failed rust repairs is tedious, many stepped and requires waits for drying, curing, weather and availability of help. To cut down on the weather variable, we spent 3 days building a shelter over the pilot house and port side of DE (where rust repairs are happening). After building a frame, we covered it with a heavy shrink-wrap vinyl which Dr Don (Sorrick) and his magic wand (large propane torch -- Dorothy posted a video on her Facebook page) shrunk down to a tight fit.

So far we've blasted, dimetcote (zinc), 3-4 coats epoxy primer and 2 coats fairing. These are not all the areas we worked on down south, but they are the biggest and/or worst at this point. We hope to do a complete re-paint in the course of the next year, probably in multiple stages.

Other projects we're still working on:

Bottom paint is done; zincs cleaned of oxides reattached and checked for ground
Old cutlass bearing is out, new one arrived, sitting in the freezer and waiting to install
New cushion elements for the engine mounts have arrived and are waiting for installation
Mounting/securing frame for the big engine room tool box is completed and in place
Prop is drilled for a puller (and polished by Dorothy, no doubt adding... some unknown, but probably infinitesimal increase to our speed/efficiency
Para-vane poles ('sticks', 'stabies') are pulled and somewhere in the boatyard awaiting modification and rebuild

There are many more things on our list (of course) but finishing out the above, may be all we realistically have time for before our cruising season starts.

We enjoy chatting with our temporary boatyard neighbors, all commercial fishermen with serious boats -- Michael on FV Harmony Isle, Sean off of FV Shadow, Thor and his FV Trendsetter II -- all interesting guys.

Our trusty Dickinson diesel heater has been going 24/7 since Pt McNeil BC on the passage up in February, accompanied at times by one or more of the 3 heating coils Dennis installed in the air con units. The domestic water pump, changed out for a new one in Seattle, has decided to 'give us heaps'. The pressure switch isn't working properly resulting in over pressure to the system and causing the over pressure valve on the water heater to blow, filling the bilge with hot water -- apparently it is possible to 'sink' on the hard. I've been reluctant the change out the pump, which is new, with the spare (also new), but there are no replacement pressure switches in the shops here in Wrangell, so unless I want to continue carrying water jugs, I guess I will have to bite that bullet.

The laundromat is only a couple hundred yards away, just outside the boatyard gate, where we also take our showers-- Dorothy takes $3.50 (7 minutes) showers, while I tend to take $5.50 (11 minutes) showers. Oh for the 0.10 cent showers at Timber Cove Boat Landing back in the day.

And while in the throes of nostalgia, last night Ms Dorothy (AKA Ruby Slipper) and I attended a roller derby bout at the Wrangell HS gym between the Garnet Grit Betties and the Southeast Shakedown. It was on a flat track of course and the participants not quite at the level of the (late 50s - early 60s) San Francisco Bay Bombers of my youth, but they were enthusiastic and gave it their all... and that's what counts.