Last night we had the Christmas Carols on the sound system at the bar during the weekly pot-luck event. Aah! Frank Sinatra 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas' vied with the South American classic 'Feliz Navidad'. It's getting closer folks.
Finally this morning the rain has stopped and the sun is out again. It is certainly taking a toll on our large sun shade. The grey and green mould is well established over the whole thing and before very long we will have to face the task of removing and scrubbing the entire edifice. Not my favourite job. Last year we resorted to bleach which worked very well but this year we have been recommended to use Oxi-clean, so I'll let you know how we get on.
It is important to get all the mould off in order to prevent any spores coming below once we roll and store it prior to going out sailing again. The spores can spread and I really do not want to deal with a major mould outbreak below decks.The topside of the boat has been looking rather weary after the long rainy season so cleaning has begun. I am taking it slowly! The cockpit has come up well and the green slime is starting to be banished piece by piece from the side decks. It is such a grotty job! What is obvious is that we really need to start thinking about repainting the topside where the paint seems to be wearing thin and starting to look a little patchy. that will be a major job I fear.
I notice that the big yankee sail, which is roller furled has some greening on the lower part. Thankfully it seems confined to the UV sacrificial strip. Hopefully that will also respond to a gentle scrub!
We have a couple of small repairs to the teak deck that need doing, finally we have acquired a suitable sized piece of wood and TBH is gearing himself up for some fine woodworking projects.Below decks have done very well through the humid tropical rainy season, despite no air-conditioning! A little mould growth on the wood that has less access to a good airflow, ie behind doors etc, but really no major problems. I am pleased with the electric fans, they seem to have boosted the natural ventilation enough to keep things well aired below.
This is the end of our third rainy season in the tropics. It is encouraging how well
the boat and her contents have stood up to the demanding weather conditions. It shows how well Chuck Paine designed her. He deserves an'Oscar' for this boat in my opinion. Every aspect of life on board appears to have been well thought through and executed. Thank you so much Mr Paine... and a very Merry Christmas!
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