Another Setback
Above the waterline, Luci’s blue has got the blues. Now that we’re so close to the hull, we can no longer deny it: the paint is peeling off almost everywhere. “That job cannot wait until we’re back in the Netherlands”, Ivar decides. His original (overly optimistic?) plan was to touch-up some bad spots. The additional paintjob is added to the list, and it’s not an easy one. We head to the paint store for two-component paint and the appropriate primer. “I should have used this kind of paint a long time ago”, Ivar repeats to himself over and over while he sands off layer after layer of the old one-component paint. It’s a setback and a lesson learned but also an investment in a longer lasting paint system.
Blessing in Disguise
While Floris sands outside, Ivar tackles a rusty spot on the inside of the hull, in the bathroom. (Yes, more rust. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!) Floris can hear Ivar fanatically hammering the rust away until it is replaced by loud curse words that will not be repeated here. Ivar has smashed through Luci’s hull. A gaping hole appears where the rust had weakened the hull, much more than he suspected when he first saw the rust. “How is that possible?” he wonders, disappointment having replaced anger. “I cleaned and painted the entire hull inside and out before departure.” Apparently, he didn’t treat this spot well enough at the time. Floris puts the suffering into perspective: “At least you waited to make the hole until we were on the hard!”
Welder Adam comes to the rescue again, this time to mend the hole in the hull. Alarmed by this new setback, Ivar inspects the rest of the hull as if he were Sherlock Holmes. He discovers more rusty spots (hooray!) under the cabin floor and in the engine room. Fortunately, they are superficial. His zero-tolerance approach does mean a lot of extra grinding and painting work, of course.