Dawn Raid on Herbie nearly goes well

 The battle to restore Herbie's paintwork goes on despite entirely unsuitable weather.  Last week's  heatwave would have fried the paint as soon as it touched the metal I would think. So when I noticed a temporary drop in the forecast temperature for this Monday I knew what I should do.  Arriving at the boat on Sunday evening, I planned a sneak dawn raid on the rear deck and cant paintwork on the next morning. Now when I say 'dawn' you have to take that in context, because since I retired some 20(!!!) years ago, my idea of dawn has little to do with sun up.  Anyhow I was up, breakfasted and ready to paint by 0815.

Conditions were not ideal because of a stiff and gusty breeze blowing across the marina, so much so that the boat had been rocking in the night.  So I was somewhat apprehensive. On previous occasions I had experience wind blowing the paint off the brush and I didn't really want the rear deck looking like a Jackson Pollock painting, so i was carefull not to load the brush to heavily. First I did the red cants and the Hempel paint being fairly glutinous (in fact it was dragging a bit), that went ok. Then it was the turn of the much more fluid Craftmaster Graphite Grey for the actual deck. It really is the most fantastic paint to work with as it flows beautifully and covers really well but it is pretty sloppy. Dodging the gusts of wind I quickly got the job done and was feeling pretty pleased with myself when I turned back to see that the pesky breeze had deposited a three inch wodge of hairy gritty gunge on the wet paint. Doh! 

Having learned from the Master (Phil Speight) I knew that the thing to do was not to try to attend to it while the paint was wet, so I just left it for another day.  I might have gone on to repeat the exercise on the foredeck but as the boat's bow is tucked into the reeeds which were waving about like a Hawaiian maidens grass skirt I decided to call it a day. So, in case of invasion by the cats from the boat next door  I just stood guard over the rear deck until the paint was touch dry and headed home (via a nice brunch at Cropredy's splendid little Mulberry Cafe).  Not a bad morning really.

Before:

After:

Lots more to do of course but it's another bite out of the elephant.