Ella is working hard
Most of you think that having a sailing boat is very fancy. Well, it’s interesting, it makes you very mobile, you can go around the world with sailing boat, you can live in different places, different marinas…
…until you have to repair something or until regular maintaining.
We went out of the water with the boat, because we have to put a new antifouling paint on the hull. In order to minimize the impact of foulers, many underwater structures are protected by antifouling coating. Of course that paint is also very dangerous or better to say toxic.
So, we went out of the water, we were thinking: in 5-6 days we will finish everything and again go back in the water! Sweet dreams… Instead of 5-6 days it seems that we are going to stay there 5-6 weeks – minimum.
I don’t want to bother you with the reasons, it’s enough that we have to stay that long.
That also means, because of lot of work I won’t be able to write so often. Sorry…
But what I want to share with you (except the photos)? Can you imagine that you have to take off (to peel) the old antifouling paint with a little “scratcher” (see the photo, I have it in my hand). It’s a little bit bigger than shaver!
Then, imagine the 14m sailing boat.
Then imagine me how I am scratching that surface (15 m sailing boat) with that little thing… Then sanding…
It’s more interesting when you doing that from the “frog perspective”, almost not possible to do it. But, you have to do it, nobody will do that instead of you.
First night I was still full of good spirit. I made a lot of jokes on that topic. I also said: “I would never do such a job, even if they pay me 10.000 EUR for that! The worst is: nobody paying me for this and I am doing that!
But what is amazing for me: For God sake, we reached the Moon, people were walking there also, they invented a lot of crazy things, but they could not invent something with what you can take off the paint from the f…… boat easier??!!!
First day, I was thinking “It’s not possible, we have to see on Internet (they also invented Internet!) what else exist for that”. I didn’t want to give up. At the end, I gave up. It’s always and only the “scratcher”!!!???
Yes, you have some machines that peeling the paint, but you have to pay a lot of money. A lot! It’s always like that: people think that if you have a sailing boat or if you live on the sailing boat that means that you have money.
Well, partially true: People who live on the sailing boat, they don’t have money!
Money have those who have a sailing boat, but only from time to time come and do a little bit sailing and then they go back to their house of concrete, with a big bathroom, big windows, carpets, garden with dogs and cats… – that is my dream now: to have a house of concrete and all those things. Then I don’t have to peel this F. paint!
Ok. we bought two scratchers. One for me, one for my Man and we have started… I can’t explain how that looks like. You don’t want to know and I don’t want to spoil your day… Everything hurts me! You have to see my hands. Like I was digging in mine whole my life :) If my mother could see me like this, she would say to me:” Come back home dear, leave that awful Man and that kind of life!” 
Also, people walking by and look at me like I am one of the world wonders. “Woman is doing that!” “It’s not so often to see that woman working on the boat!” I am the main attraction for tourist now :) and of course nobody pay me for that too…:)
So, my dear readers enjoy your life. I will try to write the posts every time when I am in a conscious state
Thank you. You are welcome
Just wanted to say I really like your site and will definitely be back!
My dear NP, yes we’ve made a little progress
In a month I hope everything will be done. I reapet: I hope… 
Until then, we are living in an apartment. Horrible! We used to live on the boat and this killing us 
I will visit your site for sure, just give me a time… I hope you are doing well. Greetings
Wow! Sounds like arduous and painstaking work. I hope you’ve made a little progress by now. Still, I guess it’s worth it to maintain your free life.
We own a 8.2296 m (27 ft) Catalina sailboat as well as a smaller Santana. I am all too familiar with what you are going through. However, because we sail only on a fresh water lake, we don’t to face as many problems as do salt water sailors. I found wearing gloves helps a lot during the paint removal process, but nothing relieves the pain in muscles you didn’t know you had!
Very glad to see you are using a mask. Some people don’t, and that is so dangerous. Happy to know that you are approaching things with safety in mind.
I think the scraping is the hardest part, but I wasn’t too keen on the painting either because of the odd angles you have to stoop into to be sure everything is well coated. Be sure to cover your hair completely if and when you paint with that anti-fouling paint. I got some in my hair and it was a nightmare trying to get it off.
Oh, and the smell! My goodness, my sympathies to you as I remember what that was like. We had our boats on their trailers rather than stands so we were scraping and painting while bent over much lower. However, it is not fun – even with a stand.
Still, when you think of the money you are saving, the skills you are learning, and how you are working together – it all comes together into an experience to be proud of — in retrospect.
We only stayed on our boat on long weekends so I can’t speak of the pleasure of living on a boat full time, but that pleasure will be all the sweeter once this experience is behind you.
You are right about people thinking if you own sailboats (no matter how small), you have money. We don’t. We bought our boats used and have fixed them up (though getting ready to sell them now because it is too expensive to drive to the lake every weekend – and because I’ve had one of hips replaced which makes it a bit more difficult to be maneuver in close quarters and to be as flexible as you need to be to sail well). We will miss them because sailing is such a relaxing sport. Loved hearing the waves, the birds and even the fish!
Congratulations on working with your man to take care of the boat. I don’t know why women don’t work with their men more often – it is such a great bonding experience — well, only if they don’t expect you to put down the scraper or paint brush and then head off to do the laundry and the cooking/cleaning. Unless they help you, then it’s not fair.
Hope you have found comfortable lodging while you work. Nothing like a warm bath or shower after a day of scraping. Of course, some people have to tough it out on board and use the marina facilities. Whew – now, that’s harder than camping in some ways.
Good luck with the scraping and painting. It will be worth it!