3271Hrs – Well Hung

Thanks to a sneaked in hour over the weekend during which I was able to get an epoxy fairing coat on the other side of the rudders, I was able to get them sanded and primer coated  today. I got two coats on the leading edges and hinge points first before hanging them in position with zip ties so that I could paint them more easily. Actually hanging off the sterns is probably the safest place for them anyway.

I’ll get another primer coat on tomorrow but I’ll probably leave the top coats now until the warmer weather in Spring. Nice to get them in position though.

My other job today was to carry on with the side-decks and lockers. I dry assembled them and offered them into position to check they fitted first (they did). Once I was happy I slapped on a good coat of primer on the insides of the lockers and the underside of the decks and then epoxied them all together.

If I’ve got enough epoxy left I’ll coat and glass them tomorrow.

It’s looking as if my lack of funds is going to call a temporary halt to boatbuilding anytime soon. I need epoxy and the timber for lashing strakes, rubbing strakes and decks plus I managed to drop my phone today (sorry Jon) so I’m now incommunicado when out of the house. I don’t even want to think about the fact that Christmas is just around the corner.

As I’ve said many times The Gleda Project is about more than building a boat, it’s about creating a new life of freedom, that freedom comes at a cost and right now I’m trying to sustain a ‘normal’ life but without a ‘normal’ 9-5 job. It’s a constant battle to try and keep a balance between creating income and keeping the build going. It looks as if I’ve let the balance tip too far in favour of ‘Gleda’ and now I’m going to be forced to redress things.

Ah well, nobody said it would be easy eh?