[Rhodes22-list] Hauled out Le Menagerie

[Jim White]

Howdy ya'll
We hauled out Le Menagerie today in anticipation of a possible storm/storm 
surge later this week. The boat has been in the water for about fifteen 
months, with little attention to the hull except right along the waterline 
where the hula skirt tends to form, and I brush that off easily about every 
six months.  I was surprised at the lack of critters growing on the hull. 
We've been using a warm water paint that the commercial guys (fishermen) 
around here use on their boats. Initially an oldtime sailor turned me on to 
this stuff, and I checked with the rep, and learned that it is OK on 
fiberglass. The name of the paint is Jo-Tun, and it is probably not 
available in a lot of places (nor would it be good in other conditions I 
reckon) , but if you have an ocean environment similar to ours (high pH, 
lots of aquatic nutrients, high salinity, year round warm water...lots of 
colonizing critters like oysters and acorn barnacles), this is about the 
best bottom paint that I've used...and dirt cheap...about 65 bucks a gallon 
down here. I gave the Menagerie one thick coat over the old bottom paint a 
year ago last April before I splashed her.

Dr. cut me loose for full duty Friday, and my arm is getting back to OK, 
still pretty tender and a bit numb in the elbow, but I'm pushing the crap 
out of it right now. Have to. Lots to do.

I'll post a couple of photos of the bottom of Menagerie tomorrow after I've 
had a chance to download 'em...I was AMAZED!

Cheers
jw

Jim White
Le Menagerie
www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com