‘Sandpiper’s’ Underside Painted

First coat of paint.

Second coat of paint.

Now and again I set aside odds and ends on the off chance that I may find a use for them at a later date. My garage shelves are full of such items. Today I rummaged through them to find paint that may be suitable for ‘Sandpiper’s’ bottom. Sure enough, I found two tins of International Toplac, which is admirably suitable for painting topsides, but as I intend to initially sail the boat for short periods between longer periods ashore on her trailer, there is no reason why I should not paint the bottom with it. If she is left in the water for a longer spell, I can scrub her bottom, and if I decide to have a long cruise, I can always apply a coat of antifouling.

Well, today was absolutely ideal for painting; therefore I was able to apply two coats of Toplac to the bottom of the boat. In between the first and second coats I had time for touching up the varnish.

Bolts were too long.

Bolts after shortening.

I also found an opportunity for putting right a fault on the trailer. I noticed that bolts attaching the rollers were too long so that they came into contact with the rollers - more so when pressed down by the boat. Consequently the rubber was becoming abraded and the rollers would not spin easily. The remedy was to shorten the bolts with a Junior Hacksaw. I also oiled the bearings of the rollers.