A snowball effect............

[sogood]

I'm still alive and after a gap in work I got the port side engine mount all done and glassed in, finishing off with a layer of woven glass, just like the transom. I got the starboard side mount cut out and cleaned up ready to fit the new mount, which I have already made up. I was a bit surprised to find that the wood/mush on both of the old mounts were just sitting on the hull, with no peanut butter or bonding of any sort. This has been corrected with my new mounts. Just some grinding to do and I'm ready to fit it and wrap it all up. After a paint job reassembly begins!

 

[sogood]

So, just as I took advantage of some free time and set about grinding away the last of the old gel coat in preparation for fitting my starboard side engine mount, my little (overworked) grinder died! It had done a lot of work before I started on the boat, and I wasn't very surprised. So, off I went to my local "Woodies" store to get a replacement and I picked up a similar Black and Decker at a decent sale price. Free time was lost at this stage so I left the grinder in the workshop and went off to do some work. Fast forward and I'm back home again and upon closer inspection I noticed that the security tag had been broken, and some of the parts/tools were missing from the box. I hadn't noticed this at the time of purchase, as there were only display models on show, and mine had to be taken from the warehouse. So a phone call later and I was back at Woodies, where they took the old one back, and replaced it with a similar Bosch model, at half price, plus a set of six cutting discs as an extra sweetener. I can't complain at all. It was a nice day for a spin and I though that the store dealt with my problem as best they could. Just a little credit where credit is due.
So………………….I have finally finished all the grinding!!!! No more old gel coat in the bilge and I'm ready to fit my starboard stringer. But the forecast yellow rain warning started to kick in so I've had to wrap things up for today. But I'm a happy camper. It's nice to get that "corner turned" feeling. While I'm at it, when I get all my glassing finished off, I want to freshen up the bilge/engine compartment. Any views on this regarding bilge paint, versus any suitable alternatives. Is actual bilge paint an absolute must? What makes it so special? Any thoughts most welcome.