hauled out

This grey and humid morning I brought SPARTINA back from the dock on the river to the ramp on Scuffletown Creek.  She had been in the water for four weeks of mostly early morning sails, absolutely wonderful sails that often began as the sun came up, and it was time to bring her home for a little maintenance.

Scuffletown Creek, about a mile up the southern branch of the Elizabeth, is shared by the ramp and a tugboat company.  I think only once in the past few years have I had to wait outside the creek while a tug was maneuvering in the narrow channel.  (I have more problems with the train trestle.  About once or twice a year I'll have to wait for a train to pass before the trestle is raised.)

Once out of the water I saw what I expected.  The bottom paint had lost some effectiveness.  There was some algae and a few barnacles.  Most of it came off with a power washer.  I've ordered a quart of bottom paint fro Jamestown Distributors, a hybrid "hard" ablative paint that works well for boats that are trailered but also spend a lot of time in the water.  I'll spend the week cleaning up the bottom and hopefully she'll be ready to go back in the water soon.