To and Fro

Yes, you've guessed. We've been yo-yo'ing again although I'm having a bit of a job remembering the sequence of events now because in my mind, the Vereeniging and the Hennie H are beginning to get confused. 

Which boat's bits have I been scraping when? And where did I leave that sander/steel brush/tin of paint? Murphy always accompanies me on these trips, of course, and if he has anything to do with it, the requisite tool/material will always be on the other boat.

Still some successes can be recorded:

1. I am still just about sane (I think).

2. So is Koos (although this is always debatable – sorry Koos).

3. Koos is halfway to finishing a dashboard box for the electrics on the Hennie H.

4. I have made a new side panel to replace one of the rotten ones on the Vereeniging – three to go out of the twelve I've been making over the last two years. Mind you, by the time I've finished, the first ones will need replacing again ... remember Murphy?

5. Koos has fitted a new expansion vessel to the Vereeniging's cooling system, which is much easier to fill than the old one.

6. I've now scraped all the paint from the trim at the top of the Hennie H's build up (I don't know what else you call the part above deck that forms the living space) and applied anti-rust primer to it.

The red trim is what I've just stripped to the steel

7. I've painted all the (new) panels on the port side of the Vereeniging.

Okay, this is starboard, but these are the side panels

On the failure side, the undercoat I used on the Vereeniging's stern has proved to be pro rather than anti rust. In other words, it's completely useless and after a couple of rain showers, rust patches are showing through it already, so guess who'll be sanding all that off again and using a different brand? Grateful thanks to anyone who can give me the name of the BEST anti-rust primer available. And I mean the best.

Pro-rust primer

And another dampener is that as soon as I'd finished painting the panels, a cloud of dust blew off the quay and onto my fresh paint....insert expletives.

And lastly, while I was painting said panels, I spotted a patch of rust on the Vereeniging's waterline. Now, bearing in mind we spent two weeks out of the water in May and applied several layers of bottom coat to the water line, as well using a special primer that we were assured would be a good base for the blacking, this was a nasty shock and a disappointment. And it's not as if we use cheap coatings. This stuff is seriously expensive. Before the autumn sets in, I'm going to have to repair that, but I'd love to know why I cannot get this right. I wonder if it's because the Vereeniging is iron and not steel? Any suggestions will be most welcome.

Has there been anything else? Not that I can think of. We haven't actually seen anyone other than our always colourful neighbours in Rotterdam. One day, I'll write about them, but I think I'll have to move continents first. No, not really. They're all great, but being 'normal' isn't in their genes, which is what makes them colourful in the first place. 

But that's not for today, as right now I'm about to hit the hay. Enjoy the rest of your week allemaal.