Bottom paint.

For non boaters bottom paint might sound a bit strange.  Bottom paint is applied every 2-3 years to the surface that spends it's time below the waterline.  It is designed to slowly ablate over time and thus discourages marine growth because barnacles, moss and such can't take hold to something that is continually dispersing from the surface of the boat.  That said, today was bottom paint day.  The day was actually quite frustrating as I was hoping to have both coats done today but unkept promises by a Mexican chap named Eduardo kept me from reaching that goal.  He is a slippery one and after promises of having the paint here at 9am, then 10, 11, 12, 1, 2...you get the picture.  Finally at 2:30pm I went into town and bought paint from someone else.  Oh ya, did I mention that bottom paint costs $200/gallon?  No worries...I only need 3 gallons! Yikes, that hurt. 

Other problems arose today to add to the mix not the least of which was another total screw up by my good buddy Eduardo, the chief of maintenance here at Marina San Carlos dry dock.  Long story short, the keel joint (the silicone seal between the bottom of the boat and the 11,000 lb. lead keel) was improperly sealed and needed to be redone.  I tried to have this done while I was in the States but Eduardo never got around to it.  When I got here 3 days ago we again talked about it and he said he would get on it.  Well, he got on it...today!  So now I have areas on either side of the keel that I can't paint until tomorrow when the sealant is dry.  Grrr! 

Launch day is Wednesday, the only day for a month that the marina has enough water in it to launch my boat, and I am hoping that all of the stress I have been enduring worrying about that launch date are completely unwarranted.  I hope that is the case because if I don't get in the water on Wednesday I won't be able to go in the water for another 3 weeks and that would not be good for those coming down to visit and hoping to see me. 

Moral of the story, it's not all Mai Tais, sunshine and white sand beaches in the world of a liveaboard cruiser.  Plain and simple...today sucked!  I am hoping for a more positive day tomorrow and that is just the reality of things.

 3M 4200 sealant on the keel joint...was supposed to be painted...but no!

 

1st of two coats completed.