Crikey...how many anodes!

 Finally, time to black FS's bottom, we couldn't believe it was over 2 years since FS was last blacked. In fact it was April 2019 to be precise, unheard of for us as dry docking usually takes place once a year. What what, what.... Bit OTT, I hear you cry? It's all to do with checking that our home is not immanently going to sink! God forbid we wake up one morning with water sloshing around the bed, so checking the hull for weak spots is a must.

Sunday 29th was the day we sailed into the dock. FS slowly descended as a paddle was lifted and she settled neatly on the steel girders. Ian was soon power washing the hull, and I took the scissors to cut the rope securely wrapped around the prop. But first the accumulation of weed had to be removed. A wild garden most nature lovers would be proud of!

 

 Jet washing done and a concern over the state of the hull. There seemed to be much more pitting than normal, probably because FS has not moved in well over a year. We had a galvanic convertor fitted many years ago to try and stop the problem of low DC currents from the shore power corroding the steel, but this doesn't seem to have stopped the pitting. So the advice from Dan (Langley Mill Boatyard) was to weld three 2.5 kg midship anodes along both sides of the hull, as well as replacing the existing 4 anodes front and stern. Blimey....that a total of 10 new anodes!

Left is the normal anode usually placed either side bow and stern and right is the slimline midship anode placed...well.. midships of course!

 

First though out came the bitumen and, dodging the showers, managed two coats done over two days. Second coat, the chalk came out. This so I don't go over the same bit over and over again. 

 

By Thursday the tunnel bands had been rubbed down and painted and the gas locker inside and out had also been given a lick of paint. While we waited for the paint to dry, Dan came along with his welder, Ian disconnected the batteries 'cos the electric current flowing through the welder could damage or short circuit our electrical system, Dan then scrapped off my newly applied bitumen to bare steel where the weld would attach the anodes and within 30 minutes all anodes were in place.

Tomorrow morning we will refloat FS and then the big clean up starts. Being in the basin for a year, as well as all the crud lifted from the hull by jet washing, she is a disgrace, the windows especially as it's like looking through a fog! Oh, and we also have the task of getting MB ready because on Saturday we leave for Sherwood Forest. Yep, a week spent with the senior members of the family, a convoy of motorhomes all heading for Nottingham. Oh, and then the following Saturday back to Northumberland and Kielder Forest to hopefully see the millions of stars in this dark sky reserve and preferably without those pesky midges too! Hmm, looks like finally this blog will be up and running again.

 And wildlife photos from August,