We had booked Driftwood into the shed so we could start painting the boat. The painting is the easy bit, first I had to scrape off the old rubber non skid deck matting that had become torn and was starting to lift. I found that a
spade was the best tool for the job. I wasn’t long into the work when I got the news that my Dad was after taking bad. He dies a short time later on 16th-May. So it was very hard to return to the boat that he had loved and that we had shared so much time together on, and shared so many experiences together on. After all It was my Dad who had done the trip from Ireland to France with me.
Driftwood sat in the shed for a few weeks with nothing being done. The bills were mounting so there was nothing for it but to roll up the sleeves and get stuck in. Ben my eldest lad came along with me and gave me a great dig out.
It’s not till you take on a job like this that you realise how large a surface there is to paint. I’m reminded of the old adage “Every job on a boat will take twice as long as you think it will and will cost nearly three times as much..”
It was great to have Ben my eldest son around to give me a dig out. If it wasn’t for him Driftwood would still be in the shed.
Every inch of her had to be sanded, then fill in any scratches then sanded again. There then followed two coats of a special primer. Then two coats of a two pack white overcoat. Next the anti-foul had to be done and then she was ready to go back in the water.
The weather wasn’t great but it didn’t dampen our spirits. I had fitted a new alternator, and Marion had got the new upholstery and carpets fitted. I replaced all the batteries, four in total, three for the domestic supply and one starter battery.
Driftwood is good to go again for another few years.
“Driftwood”