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RCE wrote:
wrote in message
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I kinda forgot what your boat looked like. It's awesome. I love the
look
of a classic boat.

Is that prep work on the bow section of the hull being done for a
thruster
by any chance?

RCE

I was originally planning to have the bottom stripped, a couple of
barrier coats applied, and then follow with new bottom paint. When they
began stripping the bottom (the light area you see just aft of the stem
on the starboard side) they discovered some small blisters that had
been previously hidden by a build up of bottom paint. As there is no
point putting a barrier coat over existing blisters, I had to decide
whether or not to peel the gel coat and skinout mat down the the
laminate and rebuild with a couple of layers of vinylester. The yard
did two test peels and used a moisture meter to confirm that the
laminate is dry and the blisters are merely cosmetic. Cosmetic blisters
I can live with, especially since a bottom peel would be another $8k or
so. :-)

I will be getting a bow thruster. (I am so ashamed!)

Actually, my new attitude toward bow thrusters is a lot like my evolved
attitude toward
gps plotters, etc: As long as you don't actually *need one* on a
regular basis, its OK to have for those odd times when even X years of
experience won't overcome Mother Nature and you just absolutely,
positively, have to bring the bow around through the wind.

A bow thruster is no substitute for helmsmanship, but after all these
years successfully handling my single screw boat I don't have to prove
that I can do it. There are also times when experience and helmsmanship
are no substitutes for a bow thruster- and when those times come around
I'll be ready. :-)


A bow thruster will come in handy when you're docking and you notice
terrorists about to blow up the gas pumps, so you're steering with one hand,
shooting with the other, and talking to the CG at the same time. On normal
days, I doubt you'll need the thrusters.