Painting in Preparation

Sunniest and warmest day of the year so far, so John and I were drawn to attend to Patience and to paint her less accessible regions.
The water tank was painted with bitumen paint last year and drained over the winter but there are still small rust spots so John donned his submariners' painting gear and leapt in.

 

Memo: try to do this with another boater in attendance; make sure you're fit enough to clamber in and out of a tight space; beware fumes; wear painting clothes

Meanwhile at the other end I was tending to the gas lockers.  The tight fitting lids seem not tight enough to prevent water seeping in and as the deck is flat not cambered water tends to stay inside the gas lockers - despite drain holes. So it was out with the gas and in with the wire brush. From one locker alone I extracted a pound weight of damp rust: not pleasant and not good for the boat.

However by scrubbing, scratching and mopping - and an important beer break while the lockers dried out - we were able to give the bottoms of the lockers a good coat of Hammerite. Should be all hardened by tomorrow so we can put the gas back in. John also fitted some draught excluder to the underside of the lid to see if that will help exclude the water.

Tools of the trade: battery powered drill and wire brush attachment, hand held wire brush, draught excluder, newspaper and elbow grease.

Memo: check the lockers next winter and apply more Hammerite if necessary!