Day three with Bayshore! Today we switched locations — Mr. Cotter’s group headed to the Bayshore Center with Bosun Liz, while Dr. Mosher’s group went to the boatyard with Captain Johann. The scenery was different, but the jobs were similar — sanding, painting, and oiling to get the A.J. Meerwald ready for its inaugural 2018 sail.
On the boat – painting, sanding, and watering
On the boat, we sanded railings in order to prep them for painting. At the boat yard, we also painted hatch covers and pieces of the hatch. We took turns — “watering the boat” to prevent it from sinking when it enters the water. (Paradoxically, watering the underside of the boat makes the planks swell, closing the gaps between boards, and making it more waterproof). To prep for paint we first dry, scrape, and sand the area. Then, the wood is cleaned with denatured alcohol (aka DNA). After the wood dries, paint is mixed and applied. In addition to making the boat ready for sailing, students may find these painting skills useful when living in first apartments, or even first homes!
Meanwhile back at Bayshore
The Bayshore Center group started by adding another coat of oil to the spars, then spent the rest of the morning sanding signs out on the dock under the watchful eye of Bosun Liz. This tedious work included removing paint sans work gloves in the cold, windy weather! (Nitrile gloves do allow more delicate work, but do nothing to keep your fingers warm). The black paint might as well have been soot, and made us all happy to be wearing face masks — ours were chock full of black bits by the end of the day.
