Yeah, you know. Sometimes there isn’t really much to report, I thought. I mean… Another day changing the keel bolts just wouldn’t cut it, now would it?

No. So therefore, I didn’t write anything yesterday. No, just kidding, I know you love my infamous keel bolts by now! But… Yesterday I only got two (2!) replaced. “Two?!” you think, that must have been a slacking record in there somewhere!

Well, I was held up.

Because yesterday I got a neighbor! So cool! As I was going to plug in the welder, to “persuade” one of the more difficult bolts out of my hull I noticed a blue boat coming up the yard, so I thought I’d wait until they were done so that they wouldn’t have to drive over the cable (obviously there are some weight to a boat, and I later found out that this little blue steel boat weighs in at a mere ten tonnes but still, it counts!). As the boat approached, a guy came walking with a GoPro in hand and, lo and behold, it is Rhys from Sailing Yacht Zora! (No I didn’t get it, but I asked due to the camera). Anyway, cool to have another person staying here! Go and watch his channel, he has quite an interesting story, or him and the boat really, and if you like it subscribe to it. Maybe I will be in some footage as well, by mistake somewhere, who knows?

So, that was the hold up. And the fact that I was invited and we had a bit of a talk and some wine to go with that. He is in the middle of rebuilding the interior of Zora and he’s here to install some seacocks and repaint the hull and anti-fouling among other things. But you can see all that on his channel, so get over there.

Today I only had four bolts to go, how hard could it be, really. I was expecting at least one to be a real challenge (spoiler: I’m getting good at this) so I was in no cheerful mood as I started. But as I got two of the remaining four replaced, I had a call.

I never get calls. Except from mum and dad. They are so sweet! Have to know what is happening with their looney son so that I’m still alive.

But, I had a call. From Ireland. That is definitely unusual, I don’t know many here and the ones I do know tend to come an knock on the hull if there is anything.

It was a truck driver (or is it a lorry driver here? It always confuses me. What is what?). Said he had some delivery for me and wanted in. Oh, yes, but of course! This was the day, when I would get my new power toys! Christmas just keeps coming early this year, this is a great year! Well, it is bad for sure, but it has its moments, you know.

So, yes, more fun projects to come. I’m running out of places to put things soon. A convenient problem, if you ask me. Oh, and by the way, those big blue boxes weighs about 25 kilos – each! It’s a work out just to get them on the boat, 2 meters up in the air.

I will not start with that project right now though, since I’m going to focus to get Away into the wet, and thus I need to prioritize three four things (that I know of)

1. Finish installing the keel bolts (yeah, you thought I was done, didn’t you? Hah! No way, there is more! But it will be a days work probably)
2. Fix the rudder – it is a fiberglass repair that needs to be done. Shouldn’t take long either. Famous last words.
3. Get the rust off the keel. Since the keel is an iron keel, there is some rust weeping out through the anti-fouling and why not fix that now while she is on the hard, right? It will make nicer under water footage later on, I hope.
4. Fix the leaking dinghy (and give her a proper wash).

Talking about keel bolts, have you noticed that I pretty much haven’t mentioned them much so far? Yes, yes, maybe some, but not more than in passing. Well, that’s because they. Are. All. In! Yes! Fantastic, even the one rusted beyond recognition came out without a fuss. I was a bit shocked really. But, like I said, it’s not all done. I need to take my wonderful grinder and grind them flush on the outside, fair them in to seal them up and then add some paint to it. Hopefully the weather – there has been full storm today – will have taken a chill pill by tomorrow (I checked the forecast, it will chillax a bit) and I can work more on the outside of the boat without risking to be blown away. I almost got blown off the boat today! So, strong winds.

Maybe I can even grind off the rust of the keel as well, but I don’t have a primer yet, so it might be a dumb idea? Anyway, I need to clean out the bilge and the boat in general, get everything sorted and start to prepare for going into the water. I also have to put on some proper barrier for the keel bolts so that they won’t ever rust, not some half-assed silicone job that will fail as soon as it gets wet. Oh, no, that won’t do. This is a challenge that is accepted with grave seriousness. It won’t be pretty, but it will be totally watertight. Guaranteed!

Now, go do something else. I’m done for now.