After our first week of sanding and scraping the bare wood appears!

So along with First Mate Herbert this week has been long hours of sanding and scraping to uncover the original wood in preparation for priming and repainting...

Herbert the master sander shows no mercy to old paint...

So now the topsides have been sanded, the seams need to be resealed before wiping down with thinners to clean up any residue and dust, then its time to prime!

In addition  to the topsides (the side of the boat above the waterline) Herbert and I have been busy preparing the deck in the same way. Securing a watertight deck and worm free, sealed hull are absolutely crucial to maintaing a seaworthy wooden boat. The deck is therefore not be rushed...

Whilst scraping the seams of the starboard side deck which itself came up nicely...

A nasty bity of freshwater created rot was uncovered along the edge of the doghouse, a leak around which was picked up by the surveyor so we knew it needed fixing, however, the photo below indicates how important it is to spot any cracks in the paint and caulking and take preventative action ASAP because over time the water works its way through the timbers completely dissolving the wood but there was no obvious problem under the old paint, which needed to be scraped off in order to expose the true extent of the problem...

Luckily Mr Cochrane and Bowtie are adept at cutting out the rot and replacing with new planking , making it stronger than before with no obvious sign of the work, this week between them they have almost replanked the entire portside below the waterline (the dreaded worm strikes again).

Bowtie lines up a new plank. And fits it...



Also during the week I visited A&F sails in English Harbour to get the sail inventory checked and prepared for some repairs and possible recutting of the mainsail. Franklyn and his team have a stunning working environment in an original building of Nelson's Dockyard...

The sail loft (absolutely no shoes allowed)...

The view from the sail loft entrance...

And finally here's the view in front of Good Expectation in Jolly Harbour Boat yard, notice the Pelican on the dock who keeps us amused with his high dives into the water to catch fish...



So watch this space for more updates next week.... Till then fair winds and calm seas to everyone!