It is too cold outside to work on the mast. The temperature is around 40 degrees Farenheit and there is a breeze. Tomorrow and Wednesday are supposed to be near 60 degrees, so I've put off that work for then.
Last week, in a couple of hours, I used a circular wire brush on an electric angle grinder to remove about 30 percent of the easily-reached old paint job, down to bare aluminum. The wire brush took off the tips of a thumb and a forefinger of my heavy leather work gloves, but I escaped injury. I'm guessing the whole job may be completed in another 10 or 12 hours.
The next step will be to apply two types of chemicals to the bare aluminum. These should protect the metal from corrosion in the salt air.
There will then be three issues with which I must deal before the mast is again raised. One is the bolt that goes through the base to hold it in place. It's an inch-thick bolt threaded on both ends. The old one was sawed through in order to get the mast down. I have to acquire a new one. The second item is the electrical connections for the radar. Before I raise the mast, I'll have to be prepared to reconnect the dozen or so wires and shrink wrap them to prevent corrosion. The third issue is the roller furling. There is an odd bend in the part that attaches to the top of the mast, and I need to find a rigging expert to look at it and see if repairs are needed.
Those considerations visit my consciousness from time to time, worrying me as any as-yet-unresolved issue will.
At the same time, I should begin removing the thick, old bottom paint from Robin's hull. I'm not yet sure how I'll approach that -- a sander-grinder? a power scraper? hiring someone with a soda blaster? The first two methods require hard labor by me. The last requires hard-to-find money.
The bottom, which has at least some blisters, will need time for the water to drain from the blister cavities before I set about sealing the whole bottom and putting on a smooth coat of paint.
At the same time as the boat work is being done, I need to get into the next writing job. I've pretty much decided to combine two projects into one -- a new youth novel and a book about my father.
I made one phone call today to advance that project. I'll make another one, too. Progress some times can be slow.