"It's Gonna Be a Better Day"

So I thought I was doing a good job with my varnishing. Until our neighbor came over to ask if he could give me some suggestions…but keep in mind that he is a perfectionist (and I mean perfectionist, he considers it ‘heartbreaking’ when he sees dust on his floors). And I gave up perfection on this boat a long time ago (we find it ‘heartbreaking’ when we find a big hole in our boat). I was informed that I need to sand even more (I would have no finger tips left if I did) and I need to varnish quicker and with a bigger brush if I want that really smooth, glossy finish. But my reasoning is that a smooth, glossy finish will make our floors like an ice rink which isn’t so good. So brush strokes are better, more grippy, right? After he left, a worker across the way then told me I need a bigger brush. What’s up with all this advice coming on Day 5 of varnishing and one coat away from being done? After my shoddy varnishing was finished, I started to help out with prepping the decks. Wow, it is overwhelming and I can see why Mike gets a bit frustrated. I am going to have to break it into sections to be able to deal. After a little sanding, I pulled off a couple of windows in the aft cabin that were pulling away from the deck and leaking. By this point I felt like I was forcing myself to continue working because by now I am feeling a little spent after this week. Mike spent his day putting more putty down around the dodger and other places to even out the decks before paint. He also spent more time figuring out how the new rigging will be attached to the decks. Every so often I realize how much we are actually doing to this boat and I think we will be pretty proud of ourselves at the end of this haul out. At 7pm, I was just winding down and Mike was still down below working when John and Aysel showed up with ice cream! So I brought down some bowls and spoons (and a little Raki) to enjoy our desert underneath the boat. We sat down there talking and laughing until the sky finally grew dark. It was definitely a positive way to end the really long, hard day.

Trying to figure out the best home

The metal plates Mike made for the deck blocks