kashurst
Well-Known Member
Years ago I scraped back to the gel coat the hull of a sealine f43, sanded it primed it, anti fouled it ( I looked like a smurf for a week) I swore I would never do it again. I never have, some things are worth paying for. As a result I became a lazy boater.
This week I decided I would polish the rodders from stem to stern get her looking gorgious and shiny after the tatty long neglected neighbour boat came back to adjacent berth looking pristine.
Well after three, yes three days of hard physical labour the rodders shines like the sun and I am totally knackered.
Quite pleased with myself the boat is probably as clean as it left the factory.
Anyway, what prompted me to do the decent thing and drag the machine polisher out of the bilges was the transformation
of an unloved boat. my new neighbour, with the super shiny old boat turns up, we exchange pleasantries etc. Turns out his old/ new boat is really shiny because he has had it PAINTED.
You utter bastard ! Why didn't you mention it. The whole pontoon has been getting twitchy, posh new neighbours etc. What's wrong with slightly orangey sand coloured gel coat? ( We get a lot of red Sahara rain here)
It gets worse, the machine polisher thingy I have used to compound and polish the boat, I am sure now weighs 7 stone ( my arms are falling off!) has sprayed crap all over the other neighbours sailing boat so I have to clean that too!
Turns out new neighbour is Russian, seems ok ( I gave the door handles a very good clean) likes boats and we had a long chat in bad Spanish about sanding teak - what grade of sandpaper to use etc ( I did that too- do I get a special forum medal for polishing and doing the teak in one week? Beer tokens very very gratefully received. It gets worse the ship Inn is closed! Terry where are you? now my hour of need?)
On the up side his wife will be a great on board asset in the summer (will that get me shore leave?)
Conclusion? If you want a shiny boat either pay someone else or buy a new one. Last time I polish a *expletive* boat!
This week I decided I would polish the rodders from stem to stern get her looking gorgious and shiny after the tatty long neglected neighbour boat came back to adjacent berth looking pristine.
Well after three, yes three days of hard physical labour the rodders shines like the sun and I am totally knackered.
Quite pleased with myself the boat is probably as clean as it left the factory.
Anyway, what prompted me to do the decent thing and drag the machine polisher out of the bilges was the transformation
of an unloved boat. my new neighbour, with the super shiny old boat turns up, we exchange pleasantries etc. Turns out his old/ new boat is really shiny because he has had it PAINTED.
You utter bastard ! Why didn't you mention it. The whole pontoon has been getting twitchy, posh new neighbours etc. What's wrong with slightly orangey sand coloured gel coat? ( We get a lot of red Sahara rain here)
It gets worse, the machine polisher thingy I have used to compound and polish the boat, I am sure now weighs 7 stone ( my arms are falling off!) has sprayed crap all over the other neighbours sailing boat so I have to clean that too!
Turns out new neighbour is Russian, seems ok ( I gave the door handles a very good clean) likes boats and we had a long chat in bad Spanish about sanding teak - what grade of sandpaper to use etc ( I did that too- do I get a special forum medal for polishing and doing the teak in one week? Beer tokens very very gratefully received. It gets worse the ship Inn is closed! Terry where are you? now my hour of need?)
On the up side his wife will be a great on board asset in the summer (will that get me shore leave?)
Conclusion? If you want a shiny boat either pay someone else or buy a new one. Last time I polish a *expletive* boat!
