Talkin' Shit About A Pretty Sunset

For the past several weeks I've been fixing up and painting my new sailboat, a 1973 Cal 27' pop top.

I'm a horrible painter but figured that by using dark green $325/gallon paint, it would make up for my lack of skill. Boy, was I wrong.

The primer ($138/gallon) was thick as mud and took me 45 minutes to hand stir. The label said I "may" not need thinner. Huge mistake, because it rolled on like cold tar.

And I fucking HATE sanding and prepping, which tore me apart --- like hitting the gym for three hours daily. The result is a finish that is the texture of orange peel.

Oh well.

People make excuses why they can't follow their dreams and get a sailboat, then they eventually end up settling for playing golf as lazy old men. Fuck all that. My sailboat is NOT a "hole in the water into which I pour money". Every cent I've put into this boat builds my passion and knowledge. If you're not willing to spend your money on things you love, why do you work? Money is like manure: it's useless unless you spread it around.

Below is a log of the pictures from the first day I started.

September 11th

This is how the boat looked when it was pulled out of the water on September 11th. It was a dull light green with scraps of old blue paint tape that had been there for years. Also, someone had painted the wooden rub rail and the varnish dripped all over the hull. The bottom was full of blisters, but nothing to worry about.





September 14th

This is after hours upon hours of sanding down the original paint.







September 16th

Here's where I put the primer on too thick. Notice the lines and globs all over the place. Oops.





October 1st

This is the final version. My wife painted the bottom black and I put on FIVE coats of Jade Mist Green AWL-GRIP paint. Hopefully it will last. I'll probably put a white or red boot stripe at the water line next time I pull it out (don't feel like dealing with it now).





As you can see, my real name is not Lonnie Bruner. It's the name of my boat.







Here are some more pictures of the rest of the boat.

The wet locker full of foul weather gear:



I just installed that fire extinguisher:



The main salon:



Port Settee berth:



4-stroke, 8 horsepower Honda:



Faux antique oil lantern:



The head:



My galley:



The deck:



The cockpit. Notice how the winch and blocks are re-inforced with a slab of teak:



Anchor. I love how there's a windlass: