What ho' shipmates! Just a quick update on the state of Zee. After some impressive 'Energiser Bunny'-esque work from Andy on Saturday I felt I needed to up my game a bit and not be seen as a work-shy ne'er do well. It started first thing on Monday and ended on Tuesday afternoon, with sore thumbs, numb hands and a piece of high speed paint flicked into my eye...

Monday was spent stripping the remainder of the cargo roof and then grinding down the last remnants of the 'eyebrows' over where the portholes once were. After that, I had the delights of using the scabbler as it wasn't intended. Holding it in front of me and pointing to the left or right whilst holding and pushing it against the side of the cargo hold. Unpleasant and tiring work but it achieved the desired result.

The rail has impeded the removal of a thin strip of cream from above the porthole which is bugging my OCD. I may well have to do away with the rail as I see it serves little purpose at the moment. I think it stemmed from the days when it used to have cargo boards covered in a tarpaulin and the tarp was tied down to it.

On the Tuesday, I decided to give the cargo hold a rest and hacked away at the skipper's cabin roof and sides. Some of the paint came away very well, but some of it was really stuck on there. I think there's little benefit in taking these areas further back. If it's on that hard it'll probably be a good enough base layer for paint.

Most of the paint on the sides of the Skipper's cabin comes off pretty easily. A little too easily in some areas. I learned at a very early age, after my father had to have a sliver of steel removed from his eye after working on the car, that eye protection is paramount. With the speed of the scabbler and the flaking and flicking of the 2 pack epoxy paint, some of the paint flakes come off with some gusto and a piece managed to find its way under my glasses and into my eye. Several eye rinses later (I didn't cry obviously) and I think I had shifted it but I have learned my lesson...

There is still plenty to do which will kick off again on Friday and probably through Sunday. Hopefully a pressure steam cleaner will be on hire and I can make a start on cleaning some of the oily gunk off the walls of the interior of the cargo hold. They ask you to not do anything too noisy on Sunday as there are houses close by.

Another quote for blasting is in the offing and the paint order has been finalised. I have 2 days off (well, not working on the boat which is close enough for me at the moment) doing other stuff. One day down, one to go then back at it...