Finishing up section 3

You get many wonderful neighbours on the canals, and some of my favourites are the ducks and swans. Not only are they funny and sometimes majestic and very edible, they also keep my boat clean. Algae grows on the hull at the waterline, and you’ll occasionally hear the rattle of a duck’s beak as it works its way along, chomping away. It’s a lovely sound that fills the boat as it slightly vibrates.

This week I started by finishing the overcoats in section 3:

And looking backwards:

Ahh! It’s glorious! That’s 79% of the internal hull prepped, and I’ll get started on the final section next week.

After that I was ill and looking after some animals for the weekend, so a light week. But I did get the new glass pane and learn a few things about re-installing windows. Firstly that completely dismantling the forward 4 was unecessary — most of the glass pane seals were fine, they just needed cleaning — and secondly that “sealant tape” exists. Basically fancy double-sided tape designed for windows, saving on a sikaflex mess. It’ll also make removing the windows easier next year when I upgrade them to double-glazed.

I’ll be away from Thursday to help the French celebrate their revolution, but that’s time enough to make good progress on the final frontier, starting with a trip to the Chandlery for a roll of that tape.

Until next Sunday!

- Nick