Shalimar's Spa III, work in progress

Another month has passed since my last article. We continued our work on the hull, deck and varnish (above and below). But as a preview, a small photo that I promised you of our garage!







Under the waterline, all seams that needed to be opened are. They have been allowed to dry, before Noel begins to caulk with new cotton fibers. We removed one of the long copper bolts that attaches the wooden parts of the ridge that connects the port and starboard bow of the boat under the guidance of Noel, who found that there was some slack (that is also where our main mast pushes on the hull). Although the bolt was as thick as my thumb, it had been seriously eroded (there was half a little finger). To resolve this problem, Noel suggested we add a second pair of spreaders on main mast to better distribute the forces. It is kept in mind for later, but it was a lot of work!
Above the waterline, you can not see much change yet there are hours of sanding, adding filler in irregularities in the hull, and several layers of paint! It slowly approaches the first layer of paint that will be visible. And you have a little surprise next month in color!

The varnish is just beginning, it will be a big part of next month. Here and there we started to strip the wood to receive a coat of primer tinted to fight against the gradual fading experienced by the Philippine mahogany (the wood tends to turn yellow), then 6-8 coats of gloss Uroxsys. The sides of our cabin have been stripped and sanded, then we have to treat them with some acid/bleach where the wood was stained from exposure to the elements. Booms have already received their primer and the masts should follow. After that the cap rail, the smooth wooden pieces that are all around the ship.









As for the cockpit, it remains the most rewarding because the work is quickly visible. All parts are cut from plywood. The fuel tank was sandblasted and then primed and painted. It is again in its place. Previously the cockpit well was one open space, (where we eventually put our liferaft and covered by a grate of teak to be level with the rest of the cockpit), the binnacle for the compass, and then an empty space that allows the pilot to steer standing or sitting. It is still this configuration, but we will try improving it. Now the liferaft is out of the way and the cockpit remains the same height instead of the "hole" that we had before. Our ambition is to achieve a watertight compartment for the liferaft in the front of the cockpit well and to have it secure and protected, but also fast and easy access in case of trouble. Must be considered in all equations the weight of the object required. It is currently in a waterproof case that makes it more cumbersome to maneuver. Ryan will then build a navigation console for electronics and more storage space than what we had and there will be a very small pit below. These changes do not seem much, however, it begs many questions, like how to evacuate the well water (drainage was done in front before), how to be sure of the tightness of the compartment to the lifeboat, what priority areas for storage ...
Concerning our little cabin, although the main effect is the loss of part of our storage accessible from the outside, there are also other adjustments to make, like how we're going to redirect the hose exhaust which connects the motor to an opening in the hull, as it previously went right through what will now be a bed? The chosen solution is to create two ducts that pass through the compartment of the lifeboat, the navigation and the small wells on either side (the other duct will be used for power cables of various navigation instruments). Apart from that, the paint is all fresh. It was a little "unsettled" for a few days because the pink primer layer is a color a little surprising to us foreigners (New Zealanders are used to it and find it normal) it was a little shock every morning to climb the ladder and (re) discover the cockpit in pink, we're back to a more conventional color now (yeah white is good after the baby pink!).
The next big step will be cutting and laying of teak but there is still much to do under the cockpit before we get there for future storage.

New location of the starboard lazarette

with a fresh coat of paint!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, my wonderful darling husband took me to a nice eagles nest of a vacation house for my birthday. We knew that the weather would be stormy so my main criteria was a fireplace and a bathroom with a hot shower, but the view was not bad either! Jared and Christine came because it would not have been the same without them. I even got gifts (a blender and a pan and yes I am very happy)! Isn't he incredible that husband of mine?