Recaulking the bits

This is what I've been working on while Alex painted the hull.

We noticed last season that the bits were not as firm as they should be, and water was leaking in around them. Once I took the foredeck cover off I remembered that I meant to do something about it, and had a look.

The trim around the bits was a bit soft, and when I tried to undo the screws holding it down they sheered.Using the screw driver as a chisel to ease the wooden trim off its bed of mastic worked well, but none of the wood survived intact as it turned out to be totally rotten.

The bits themselves were still sound luckily, so I re-caulked around them (the only caulking I've done since going on the course!). I used Nigel's recommended brown mastic rather than red led putty as my stopping,and no rain has come down round the bits since.

The foredeck was in need of a good tidy up, so I got rid off all the loose paint, and filled the holes with plastic padding before sanding it down and giving it a coat of Pre-Kote. After that I made and fitted some new varnished hardwood trim around the bits, gave the deck another coat of Pre-Kote then finally, today, a coat of masonry paint.

The foredeck looks better now, but the varnish on the forehatch needs some TLC too...

I went alone today, just for the morning since rain was forecast for the afternoon, and as well as the masonry paint on the foredeck, and a coat of primer in the cockpit I put on a second coat of anti-foul.None of those should be affected by the afternoon rain. The forecast predicts rain every day for the next week, and the car needs an MOT so I'm not sure when I'll go to Mersea next!