Up and Out

On dry land. Under a bridge.

Up

Early this afternoon the Bock Marine team plucked Andante from the water, gave her a quick bath, and plopped her down in a dusty field under a highway bridge. Quite the change in environment from just a few days ago but exactly where we need to be to get some work done.

Always a little nervous to see the boat lifted out of its natural element. Also, I watch too many boat fail videos on YouTube. Fortunately these guys are really skilled and everything went smoothly.
The hull was not nearly as fouled as I anticipated. Most of the slimy growth came off quickly with the pressure washer. A few small barnacles were easy to scrape off.
I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t clear the bridge this time. Fortunately we parked just off the road before reaching the span.
All blocked up. First job tomorrow will likely be an acid wash of the hull to get rid of the nasty brown ICW tannin stains. Later I’ll give the hull a good compounding and waxing that should help prevent future stains.

After careful examination of the bottom condition there is no overwhelming reason to remove all of the existing bottom paint. No blisters were found and there is only minimal chipping where the old paint is very thick.

So instead of sandblasting and then barrier coating and then painting, I’ve asked the yard to have two guys spend one day sanding with the goal of smoothing out the existing substrate rather than removing all traces of paint. The water-based antifouling I will apply (Pettit Hydrocoat) sticks to just about anything so there are no worries with compatibility. And in keeping with our speed expectations (moderately slow) a perfectly burnished racing finish is just not worth the time and expense.

The big question now is what color? The sanding will cut through the existing green and several older layers of black and blue. Am trying to decide between green, red, or black for the new bottom paint. They all work the same – strictly a cosmetic choice. Anybody have a preference?

My front door for the next month or so. Wipe your feet please.

3 thoughts on “Up and Out”

  2. Nice pics. While the road is dusty, there is minimal traffic. I was surprised at the good condition of the bottom paint. Our preference is green, but any color will do great.

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  3. I vote either green or blue! Looks great. Hope your space heater comes in soon. And hope the bridge noise doesn’t keep you awake.

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