The topsides are all shiny again...
and look at the gleam on that prop!
If you look, you can see the grounding plate sitting on the starboard side of the hull... and here it is a bit closer...
It wasn't a pleasant experience drilling holes in the hull below the waterline.... I fitted a substantial backing plate, and used loads of Dow Corning silicon sealane, so am confident that it will be watertight.... still... always that little niggle in the back of your mind...
I also fitted the watermaker and pump mounts..... they will need a little adjustment at a later date, with a couple of extra supports that I have measured for, but in the mean time, they are Sikaflexed in place, so should be ready to go as far as fitting the watermaker and pump are concerned....
Fitting the anode proved easy...
I was concerned about relocating the ropecutter (which was incorrectly located after the shaft was dropped last autumn to fit the new gearbox), as undoing the propshaft bolts didn't look easy, and then I had a brainwave.... why not undo the fitting on the P bracket instead... which came off really easily.... I was also, at the same time, able to turn it 180 ° and have it so that if the shaft ever needs undoing again, then it should fall naturally into the right position.... ie with gravity assisting it.... the picture below explains it better...
So, now we are ready to go for the season.... all that remains is to clean the cockpit once we are back in the water, as it suffered a bit this weekend with dirt being traipsed in from the bottom of the ladder.....
We will contact Shotley this week to let them know that she can be dropped back in sooner than the 23rd if they like, but no problem if they don't....
.... it does feel as if the season is about to start!
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