Well, maybe this isn’t really but I’m too tired from a day of buffing and sanding to think of a better title. It’s the difference between something and something though.
I had the boat hauled last Monday with the plan being to jump in the car and drive out to upstate New York just minutes after it was set up on the blocks and secure. Just before the haul, I got to thinking about all the complications that have kept me in Portland far longer than planned, what a week cruising in Maine is worth, and decided to ask what it would cost to have the boat buffed and waxed while I was gone so I could just slap a coat of paint on the bottom and leave after my return.
There were three deep chips in the transom corner where the towing eye of the dinghy had hit just wrong before I figured out a different knot that provides some protection from the towing eye. These were right down to the raw glass so would need to be repaired before wax got into the hole. I had the service manager come down to look at the boat and told him I had repaired these before and found that JB WaterWeld epoxy putty is an almost perfect match for the gel coat on my boat.
“Our minimum charge for a gel coat repair is $400.”
Oh, this is going to be a much shorter conversation than I expected., I thought.
So, after a little more polite breeze shooting, the boat was hauled and I headed off to spend three days helping re-roof a cottage. That involved sheathing the old boards with 1/2 inch plywood which my 89 year old father and I loaded in the pick up truck. Horsing that stuff around and up on to the roof and all the other activity, including falling off the ladder directly on to my hip, seemed like the perfect storm for the problems I’ve been having with the back / hip joint but it had to be done. I returned, did a day of easy projects on the boat and then today’s buffing and more running up and down ladders. I feel great. I think I’m going to cancel my appointment with the back doctor. Being more consistent about my exercising and stretching seems to have done the trick. I’d feel pretty silly talking to a doctor after a week like this with no sign of pain.
I told you I was tired, I’m rambling. Anyway….
Fifty cents worth of the JB Weld went on the three dings in about three minutes. It’s moisture tolerant so I went back ten minutes later after it was half cured and ran a wet finger over it to smooth it up a bit. An hour later, 30 seconds of sanding with 600 wet/dry paper took care of a couple little rough spots. Here is one ding showing the result of less than a dollar of material and less than ten minutes work.
It’s just to the right of my finger. I can hardly find it on the boat either. $399.50 ahead.
I had the boat hauled last Monday with the plan being to jump in the car and drive out to upstate New York just minutes after it was set up on the blocks and secure. Just before the haul, I got to thinking about all the complications that have kept me in Portland far longer than planned, what a week cruising in Maine is worth, and decided to ask what it would cost to have the boat buffed and waxed while I was gone so I could just slap a coat of paint on the bottom and leave after my return.
There were three deep chips in the transom corner where the towing eye of the dinghy had hit just wrong before I figured out a different knot that provides some protection from the towing eye. These were right down to the raw glass so would need to be repaired before wax got into the hole. I had the service manager come down to look at the boat and told him I had repaired these before and found that JB WaterWeld epoxy putty is an almost perfect match for the gel coat on my boat.
“Our minimum charge for a gel coat repair is $400.”
Oh, this is going to be a much shorter conversation than I expected., I thought.
So, after a little more polite breeze shooting, the boat was hauled and I headed off to spend three days helping re-roof a cottage. That involved sheathing the old boards with 1/2 inch plywood which my 89 year old father and I loaded in the pick up truck. Horsing that stuff around and up on to the roof and all the other activity, including falling off the ladder directly on to my hip, seemed like the perfect storm for the problems I’ve been having with the back / hip joint but it had to be done. I returned, did a day of easy projects on the boat and then today’s buffing and more running up and down ladders. I feel great. I think I’m going to cancel my appointment with the back doctor. Being more consistent about my exercising and stretching seems to have done the trick. I’d feel pretty silly talking to a doctor after a week like this with no sign of pain.
I told you I was tired, I’m rambling. Anyway….
Fifty cents worth of the JB Weld went on the three dings in about three minutes. It’s moisture tolerant so I went back ten minutes later after it was half cured and ran a wet finger over it to smooth it up a bit. An hour later, 30 seconds of sanding with 600 wet/dry paper took care of a couple little rough spots. Here is one ding showing the result of less than a dollar of material and less than ten minutes work.
It’s just to the right of my finger. I can hardly find it on the boat either. $399.50 ahead.
