Are we ready yet?

Something is dripping ...

And another three weeks have gone. Weeks of grinding drainage holes: Mark Twain told of a steamboat that was like a politician: the whistle used more steam than the boiler could supply so when the whistle blew the boat stopped, like a politician who, when his mouth opened his brain stopped. Well, I have a political die grinder. It works like a charm, for two minutes, then the little compressor has to run for five minutes to catch up. So imagine, if you will, me grinding away for two minutes, then I climb down the ladder to drill holes, grind seams, or do whatever, The moment the compressor stops I am back up the ladder, grind for two minutes....

No, leaking!

The last bit of rewelding of seams had a story to them. Isaac called me to show that they could not weld the central seam, as there was water dripping out where Kenzo had ground it out.

Supports are rewarded

Awkward welding of a support under the side deck

Rudder fittings go on.

So I drilled a little hole.... The closed compartment where the mast support rests was not as closed as it should have been, and was full of rain water. I cut four 50mm holes in it in order to be able to see the hull, which is what I had asked for in the beginning.

I also drilled all the holes where rivnuts must go to 9mm, took out the waste and water tanks and drilled their mounting holes to 11mm for the 8mm rivnuts that will hold them. And today we had the last session of welding the rudder fittings on, and grinding the last sharp edges round. We did not quite finish that, so I have three days to do that when we are back from the coast.

Then the sandblasting and spray painting waits. A compressor is lined up, but I must do the paperwork and pay a deposit. The sandblaster is lined up and a deposit paid. The paint and degreaser is lined up and paid for, but I do not have a delivery date. Airless spray equipment is lined up, but must be checked. The most important element, though, is still missing: the spray painter. I have a name of someone highly recommended, who has worked at the factory before. They trust him on their equipment. But he does not answer his phone...

Thanks to David for helping with the welding, and Bongani for grinding miles of seams and rounding hundreds of corners!

And to the Profection team: Isaac, Kenzo, Lucas and Thomas.

Stay tuned...