It has been another dusty week on Dorade but things are coming together nicely. We have been varnishing both on deck and the interior at the same time preparing the waterways for a coat of enamel.
The deck work now has four coats on and we are going to shoot for one more once everything else is done. The interior has taken the longest to prepare with all the beams and fiddly little corers you need to get into and sand. Taping everything up is a work of art and the amount of tape you need is incredible. The final result is 90% preparation so we have to take the time getting it right now and then the varnish goes on quickly. The first coat is going onto the interior right now and it is looking good. Most of the interior will only get one coat but a few areas will require a couple extra as they get worn heavier than the other areas.
The water ways got the first coat yesterday and they look amazing so far. We are going to put a second coat on today as in a couple of places the paint is thin. The weather isn’t looking great this morning but hopefully it will clear by lunch time which is normal is San Diego.
I’ve had done a couple of touch ups to varnish on the mast and the radar antenna needed some paint as well. I can’t wait until this phase is finished now and we can start getting the boat back in shape for racing and the Trans Pac which is just around the corner. A couple of outside contractors are needed for some other jobs but for now I cannot have any more people on the boat creating a mess. Next week it will all be over and a couple of days cleaning and putting stuff back on will sort things out.
We have decided to create a swiveling goose neck for the mizzen boom just like the main boom. Doug jones was on hand at the beginning of the week to offer his expert advice and now the project is in full swing. This is going to greatly reduce the risk of damaging the goose neck through torsion and allow the mizzen spinnaker to fly more freely.
The Trans Pac is just around the corner and we need to be refining the smaller details. Hopefully next week we will get the bottom sprayed and that will be the last major job before the final wet sand just before the race. I’m already thinking logistics for returning from Hawaii and shipping sails and fuel cans there for the return trip. The provisioning is a major consideration and I have it all in hand, I think!
Ben