Two Steps Back

Yesterday's post mentioned concerns about the acrylic paint I've been using but put off doing anything until man~ana. Last night was warm and humid; when I got up this morning there was a thick fog, but not so thick that I couldn't see that all the paint I put on yesterday had absorbed so much moisture that it turned to a thin liquid, pooling in the bilge and running off the deck down the topsides. I have never seen any paint fail so completely. God's own mess.

I realized that today is man~ana.

I cranked up the pressure washer and washed off all the slimy residue of what should have been yesterday's paint, bailed out the boat, and repeated the process until the water was nearly clear. Then I set out to get better paint that matched the colors we had so carefully chosen. The paint store washed their hands of the problem (pun intended). They can match colors but have no better paint. So off I went to West Marine. They have good marine paint, but only in stock colors. If they had better color choices I would have bought there originally, environment be damned. Back home, I got on the phone and after a couple of calls reached a Sherwin Williams store which carries industrial/marine enamel and can match colors. So I made color samples and headed there. The people at the store were very helpful, and matched the colors perfectly. They offered me the choice of a latex base or oil base, but that was an easy choice. My previous attempt to go green with a water-based paint was a failed experiment. I'll wait for the technology to catch up before I try that again.

The forecast for the next few days is for more fog and possible rain, so I may not be able to paint for a while, except for the stern sheets boards, which are indoors.

I have ordered two self-bailing drains which I will install on either side of the centerboard trunk. They will help keep the boat dry, both in and out of the water. Besides painting, I don't have much else further to do except two more coats of varnish on the tiller and hiking stick.