May 10, 2021
Arietta 33
Monday
Preparing for the season, I took advantage of a slow afternoon to finish up the project and paint the bottom. I’d moved the boat indoors earlier to give me the chance to do the work regardless of the weather. This was a straightforward task except for the need to remove the trailer’s keel guides for access to the sides of the keel. This posed no problem on the starboard side, but to port, the keel was pressed tightly against the guide and I couldn’t budge it.
I decided to go ahead and paint all the bottom, including the starboard side of the keel, leaving the port side of the keel alone for now. Then, after painting, I reinstalled the starboard keel guide and used a small jack and some scrap lumber to push the keel (and the boat) sideways just enough to release the pressure from the port keel guide, allowing me to remove it and finish up the painting there.
Afterwards, I released stands as needed to finish up the paint in those areas, then reinstalled the keel guide and moved the boat back outdoors to await her eager owners.
Total time billed on this job today: 2.5 hours
0600 Weather Observation: 50°, cloudy with a sprinkle. Forecast for the day: Chance of showers, gradual clearing, 64°