We're feeling very smug because we used the wonderful weather this weekend to get two coats of antifoul on the boat. We're not actually ready to launch - there are a few more minor details to sort out, like the cradle pad marks, not to mention polishing the topsides. But we feel now that the worst is behind us. And we can start looking forward to the season ahead.
The fine weather was forecast well in advance. We knew we'd have two days of sunshine and no wind to paint in. The problem was it was going to be frosty at night. So using water-based antifoul was out of the question. We decided to stick with the hard racing we used last year. Its anti-fouling properties weren't too impressive, but it did give us a beautifully smooth and slippery finish, at the cost of a couple of haul-outs and a lot of Hullmaid-ing.
(The Hullmaid is a useful device, sadly no longer in production, which, owing to a cunningly angled extendable handle, and a cleaning head with enough positive buoyancy, enables you to wipe the hull below the waterline while the boat is in the water.)
It's when you come to antifoul that owning a bigger boat doesn't seem such a good idea. What was once a sprint has become a marathon. It used to take the two of us an hour to put a coat on our 25 footer, then two hours on the 33-footer, and now nearer three hours on the 40 footer.
It's a bit of a daunting prospect - especially when you know you've got to get it done to a deadline, making the most of the warmest part of the day. Because at this time of year the temperature plummets after 3 pm, and the paint must have gone on - and “gone off” - by then.
We reached the boatyard on Saturday morning to find the dew still running off the topsides. So the first task was to go all over the hull with an old tea towel, to speed up the drying process. And with our draft that means hopping on and off a plank on trestles to reach the waterline - not to mention moving the trestles etc five or six times down each side - a reasonable work-out before the painting even started.
Then I stirred the paint (unskilled job) while he who must be obeyed put on the masking tape (skilled job - with more trestle and plank action.) And by then the sun was high enough to have us stripping off our fleeces. And the boat was beautifully dry. It felt positively spring-like as we set to work - in T-shirt order in February!
We started, as you instinctively seem to, at the bow. It's a mistake. You make very rapid progress to begin with, and then it gets slower and slower as the boat gets wider and deeper.
So when we came to put the second coat on yesterday, we decided to start at the stern and work forwards. That way, you do the wide expanse behind the keel while you're feeling relatively fresh and enthusiastic, and then it gets quicker and easier as you move towards the bow.
We put the paint on with small rollers - it takes longer, but seems to produce a better finish than large, household-sized rollers. (You're not working on a uniform flat surface like a wall, after all.) And using a roller it's important to wear eye protection and a mask to avoid inhaling the fine spray you produce, which is of course toxic.
I know there are lots of people who don't do their own antifouling. It's a filthy job that involves unhealthy chemicals. It's no surprise that many people would rather pay the yard to do it than get their own hands dirty (we wear disposable gloves, too!)
It would be stretching the truth to say that it's an enjoyable way to spend the weekend. But there is an enormous feeling of achievement when you've finished. And there's a great sense of camaraderie in the boatyard, too, with everybody monitoring each other's progress, and sharing encouragement - and equipment. And of course, it's good to go into the yacht club bar for a late lunchtime drink with your mates when you've finished.
Yesterday, we were able to sit outside, still in T-shirt order, to enjoy that post-painting reward. The river was positively sparkling. A few lucky souls were actually out sailing.
It really won't be long now before we're able to join them. But will the spring-like weather continue? Or is will winter make a return?
It's nice not to have to worry too much, either way!
