The fabulous Chris Holmes has just left us with a glowing survey report for Thomas. Hurrah!
On the whole it seems that the tales were true and she's been really well doubled, with 10mm steel. The anodes were in really good nick and there's just very little damage so we're so happy.
There are a couple of bits to do, but really nothing too unexpected. It's our first time in dry dock, so all those scare stories people like to tell were repeating themselves in our heads but, as ever, Thomas has held herself high.
Simon spent most of the previous day pressure washing the hull down. He and Richard had already had the horrible job of scraping off the weed and mussels that were stuck on (luckily, the slat water had persuaded most of the mussels to fall off on their own).
Your caption here.... 
Think we might just head off to the pub now to celebrate.
But soon enough it was time to get back to work, so while Simon got to work with the angle grinder cleaning back along the waterline, I set to with the big power washer on the underneath of the boat.
I've never felt more glamerous.
On the plus side, Simon wasn't much better himself.
While Simon fixed a weld on the whisker, I started with the Bitumen, which seems like a much better job once you've done the pressure washing. Suddenly she started to look all shiney and new(ish).
Linden is currently burning off some spots on the underside with the OA where they're going to put a plate (it's a spot unbetween two plates that has some pits so it's safer to plate it). Then we're pretty much there. I feel like I know every inch of Thomas inside and out now. It's enough to make a girl proud.
Really should add that Colin Frakes at standard wharf has been a star, as have Linden and Mac. The dry dock is really easy to use, once I calmed my vertigo down anyway, so we're really happy right now (although we're still not sleeping too well, perhaps it's a Feng Shui connection to the water type thing...?).
Back to the Bitumen. Will keep posting when I'm clean enough to use the laptop, in the hope that people are interested in our labours...
3 comments:
Hurrah! Like you say, you only ever hear the horror stories, so it's great to have a good experience.
You should see if you can moor up by us on the way back up for the night...
This is great stuff. I know I've seen your blog momentarily before but I don't know how I managed to forget about you, for you're doing splendid job. By the way you look lovely with all that muck on your face. Some people pay huge bucks to look that way! The photos are wonderful and I am adding you to my blog roll. Big live aboard barges certainly seem to be the way of things across the puddle as they certainly aren't over here on Canadian Wet (aka West) coast. We don't have much of this sort of thing.
Great job! well done. :o))
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