Rust becomes Dust
A week off work and the alarm still goes off at 0630!! I'd rather be at work, but there's no choice.I drive up the creek and into the CCYS boatyard. It's time to convert rust to dust and do a lot of painting.
My friend Evan drives past in his dinghy and asks if I need any help with the painting of the boat. An hour later Aliisa is up and dry and I'm water-blasting the hull. Evan is standing next to the boat. Evan has no other plans for today. Two hours later Aliisa is propped up in the boat yard and Evan is still there.
You look like you really want to do some boat work, I said, and offered him a sanding block. "I've got my own" he says and starts working on Aliisa.
I feel a bit akward first but then I remember the pain of being unemployed. Evan has been messing about with boats most of his life and there's nothing worse than doing nothing all day, all week, week after week. All is good. Evan has recently lost his job as a tradesman. Business is slow in Cairns. Evan is sanding and painting. I give him a little money (very little) and he'll be back tomorrow. I've known him for about five years. He's is the nicest guy with the warmest heart. He's desire to help me is as genuine as my desire to give him something in return. Thank you Evan!
The week, that I thought might be too short for a paint-job, seems allright now. By the end of the day, Evan had put two coats of paint on the hull and we're moving along to the topsides.
Two days later Evan doesn't show up. Paula does. We keep painting and grinding. Paula spills half a tin of paint on the ground and desides to go to the aft cabin for a rest.
I decide to grind the deck above the aft cabin and Paula decides to come out...
Aliisa is looking better. Thank you Paula.
Life's Great!
Blasting away the layer of slime that has grown on the hull in the ten days since cleaning the boat at Fitzroy Island. The harder you blast, the less sandpaper you need to rub on the boat... (Photo: Alan)
