Bottom Painting Again

We left in the spring, planning to get the bottom painted as soon as we returned. We had visited our chosen boatyard in the spring and made some rough plans. We had nothing but good recommendations for this yard. It is known as Abel's, named after both the father and son who run it. It is actually Astillero Magdalena. We made the short trip further up the river and under the bridge to the boat yard the first thing Monday morning. We pulled right into the travel lift basin and were hauled immediately. They went to work right away, pressure washing and then sanding the bottom. By the end of the day, it was practically ready for paint. This is the first time we have not done the work ourselves. We could not have accomplished in a week what took them a day. Firstly, we would not be able to work in the heat as they do, and even without the heat, we would not have the stamina. We stayed aboard on the hard, but maybe that was not the best idea. Each day, the temperature inside the cabin topped out at 106 degrees. We managed to get it down to 92 degrees by bedtime, and it would be mid-eighties in the morning. We stayed off the boat pretty much except for eating and sleeping. On the second day, they finished sanding and then applied two coats of paint, leaving about 4 hours between coats. On the third and final day, they moved the stands and applied the two coats there and then, finally lifted it on the travel lift, applied paint to the blocks that were under the keel, and let it hang for a while to dry. At about 11, we were back in the water. We could not have been happier with the whole experience. The work was excellent, and everyone was friendly and hardworking. We received excellent value for our investment.

We are so glad that is behind us, and we should be good for another couple of years. Our timing worked out well, as it has rained a lot since getting back to the marina.