Azores or Bust

Aside from a rookie mistake I am making progress with the rubbing strakes. I removed them fairly easily and back filled the drilled out rivet holes. Once the old holes had been cleaned out and plugged I oiled the strakes with my home brew mix; 45% white spirit, 45% Tung oil and 10% Le Tonkinois varnish. It goes on a treat and after a month out doors there is no discernible degradation.  The rubbing strakes are held on with temporary screws while the CT1 mastic cures and then the screws are replaced with rivets. In case you were wondering, the rookie mistake was to rivet both ends of the strake first and then wonder why there was so much bulging out when I started to rivet the middle section! The steering bracket is finished and only the top bracket to do and it will be ready for a test fit of the pendulum and vane.

I have needle gunned off the rust on the iron keel and taken it back to dull iron. This took a day to do both sides and the noise and dust was horrendous. The keel is primed with Hammerite No.1 Rust Beater. This includes the underside for which I had to raise the boat off the blocks. I also wirebrushed off the loose antifouling, another horrible job. The set back. During this work I found that the rudder skeg had started to de-laminate. This appears to be where the steel section has rusted and blown the glass laminations out.  I have asked the Achilles forum what they think but I fear that I will need to grind the rusty section out and fit a replacement piece; either stainless or iroko. In other news I finished off the electrical panel and battery wiring. Just need to fit the solar panels and charge controller. I am almost ready to lower the mast, just need to make some final mods to the A frame and wait for a calm day.