Evanston: the graying of GANNET
Evanston: the graying of GANNET
George Bernard Shaw said that England and the United States are two great countries separated by a common language.
I have spent so much time in British influenced countries that I no longer know who writes “gray” and who “grey” and had to look it up. I first wrote “greying” and changed to the American spelling because I am.
I am also a commuter.
For the past three mornings the alarm has rung at 5:00 a.m. and I’ve been out the door at 6:35 to walk to catch the 7:00 a.m. train. The lot at Skipper Bud’s in which GANNET is parked is about a mile from the Winthrop Harbor train stop, so I’m on the job about 8:30. No punching a time clock. A forgiving boss. A view of Lake Michigan. Very low pay. In fact, absolute minimum wage. No retirement plan. But, in all, not a bad job.
On Sunday Carol and I drove up, transporting a step ladder and other items too big for me to carry on the train. While there I sanded the topsides with 180 grit paper, wiped it down with mineral spirit, and we taped the water line.
When you mask the waterline, the hollows at GANNET’s bow become very obvious. They become even more obvious when you use a paint roller on them and it doesn’t touch in the middle.
On Monday, I wiped the topsides down twice, once when I first arrived and again just before I left to catch the 3:00 p.m. train home.
In between I filled and sanded dings I had previously missed, and masked the deck line.
During the last wipe down, with the sun shining on the starboard side of the hull, I noticed two more dings. Too late. I could only hope the paint would partially fill them--(it did one, not the other.) And if you’ve been here a while, you already know that I seek perfection in writing, not painting.
On Tuesday I applied coat one.
I used two foam rollers, one big, one small, and two foam brushes, one 3”, one 1”, generally first rolling, then smoothing with a brush.
The transom with various holes and plates, one of whose purpose I have never understood, takes disproportionate time. I started there, then worked my way up the starboard side and back on port. Today I went the other way.
The rub rail complicates painting. I expect to paint it white, but I didn’t mask it, both to speed the process and cover the red.
After I finished painting on Tuesday, I lowered the mainsail, folded it and stowed it below, along with the spinnaker pole, the boom vang, and the boom, preparatory to lowering the mast this weekend with the help of a friend.
GANNET’s interior is now extremely cluttered and more things still have to go below for the trip west.
The first coat took me about two and a half hours to apply; the second a little less than two. As when I anti-fouled the little boat, I was amazed by how little paint I used. I made it all the way around with a single pour into the paint tray. A quart is enough for one coat, with some to spare.
Both days were good painting days. Dry, low humidity, and not much wind, so I have no excuses for not having a mirror finish, which I don’t.
A lot of small gnat-like bugs were attracted to the paint. I wiped them away this morning
In addition to painting the rub rail, I have to apply the new name and registration decals, also white--black would stand out more, but I’m trying for a more restrained look.
I’m raising the waterline and will paint the tan band with Pettit Vivid white anti-fouling. GANNET still sits on her lines, but water and provisions for an ocean passage will make her deeper.
The photo was taken from a GANNET boat length away. I think she passes the test.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012