Mary Lee is floating again.....HURRAY!!!!

It has been a very busy schedule. I persevered. It took a bit of doing.
I got the new cutlass bearing installed. The flange I got was machined down to what I needed.

                                                             Ended up as this

                                                                   Then this

In the mean time. The old loose bottom paint ended up looking like this.

By using this.

Yup...generally used for scraping houses. It really is an agressive way to get loose paint off the bottom. Took me about 5 hours. Next day saw bottom paint going on.

Getting all over it. First coat one day. Second coat the next. I had a guy who had been painting 30 years tell me that if I wanted the best coverage I would want to brush it on instead of roll it. The idea is that the brush tends to get into the pits and crevices better. People also tend to try going further than they should with the roller and the coverage is thinner. It took me about 3 hours a coat with the brush and I am pleased with it. I will brush the next time also. But the fun didn't stop there. The stainless strap that holds the rudder on was corroded. I ordered a piece of stainless for that.

I needed a way to bend it. The piece I bought was an 1/8 inch thick. 2 inches wide and 18 inches long. If not careful it would just kink in the middle. I bought a fence pole. Clamped it in the center and bent it around with a rubber mallet. Worked perfectly

The new piece is on the left. I forgot to take a picture installed but the guys in the yard complimented me on how perfect a fit I had. I didn't need the compliments but it is nice when you step back to admire something that worked out well and the guys standing there are impressed. It fit better than the old piece. Okay...It was all done in the garage. It could just as easily not fit when I got it over to Mary Lee.
So that was yesterday. I knew Mary Lee would be going on the lift today for a tomorrow morning launch. I wanted to start the engine and make sure all was well before it went. I made it all happen and about noon they told me that as there was Hurricane Arthur blowing in I would need to go in today. All good. I want it on the floating docks at Osprey marina for that. If there was ever a hurricane hole, Osprey is it.

So on the lift she went. I scraped and painted the pad spots and bottom of the keel.

She looks good. I am pleased with a job well done. I have now fixed just about everything that concerned me.

And that spot is available for someone else to work on their boat.

I have some deck hardware to finish mounting and some new running rigging(ropes) to splice loops in the ends and change out the ones that are just too old. But Mary Lee is finally pulling together. She will spend her summer in Georgetown, SC. Vivian and I will be spending weekends sailing. I am taking her south on November 1st. I cannot wait. It has been a long hard struggle. Perseverance, perseverance, perseverance!!!