Alright, the day to splash is getting closer as we speak, and I add and remove things on the things-that-should-be-done-before-splash-list as I go.

First of all I needed to go to Cork once more, since I need to repair the dinghy the right way, but also because I needed a new zinc anode for the propeller axis. But not only that, but it was time to give her a good wash, so I needed some boat wash. For some reason birds (yes, pigeons, I’m looking at you!) have found Away a good place to take a toilet break. The bow was totally bombarded, but there were very obvious evidence all over the deck that they’ve been around. Even on the hull! Looks like they have been practicing some Stuka moves on my boat…

So, I have to clean up after them. The deck looks much better now, after hours of massaging it with a lathered deck brush. Is it perfect? Not at all. But it is done, and now I can focus on getting the rest of the stains off the deck. You see, the problem with washing my boat is that the other spots and stains that isn’t easily removed sticks out like a sore thumb. Yeah. It’s a bit ironic, really. I clean the deck and it looks dirtier, just because now the dirt is more obvious. There is always something to do on a boat…

After the deck was done, I continued with the hull to see if I could get rid of the streaks that inevitably appears as a boat is left unattended for some time. Some was removed, but once again it was easier to see where the dirt wasn’t removed. So, next thing is to polish. I talked to the boat yard and I can borrow their gear to try to get it fixed.

It is when you paint or wash a boat that you really appreciate how large it really is. There is a lot of boat, for sure. I presume polishing Away will feel the same. But it is a low price to pay for having a house on the water that I can sail around the world!

A last task before I went inside was to replace the propeller zinc anode. It was actually really easy to unscrew, not too easy, but still not as hard as I expected. All the propeller needs now is a paint to hinder any growth and the underside is all ready to splash.

It is scheduled to happen on Monday, by the way! Don’t think I have mentioned that earlier…

I hope you had a wonderful midsummer and celebrated in fashion!