Haul-out weekend

The first weekend of July had been reserved for out-of-the-water maintenance. Auriga was lifted on Friday evening, and we had until Sunday evening to complete all the inspection, repairs and painting.
Our main goal was to clean the hull and renew the antifouling - a layer of special paint previnting growth of any wildlife on our hull.

The importance of antofouling became apparent very soon - the unidentified alien species on our keel and rudder was fought off with an arsenal of garden tools and a pressure washer.

For additional piece of mind, we have invited a professional surveyor, who checked the structural integrity of the hull and rudder, and pointed out a few small areas where water was getting into the laminate. We ground out the damaged fiberglass and filled the gaps with epoxy putty before painting over.

Repair on the trailng edge of the skeg

Repair on the trailng edge of the skeg near the rudder bearing

We also used the opportunity to tighten the engine water intake. The through-hull fitting was removed, and the hole edges faired with epoxy putty, before bedding in the fitting with more Sikaflex.

 

The old gate valve was replaced with a more reliable ball valve. Fitting the valve assembly into the narrow bilge space took some trial and error, but eventually it all tightened in the desired position.

Four threaded joints sealed with PTFE tape and tightened with old ultraviolence

Meanwhile, Giulia cleaned the propeller and the shaft, and replaced the protective zinc anode.

Our painting schedule was only slightly hampered by rain - we still managed to apply two coats of antifouling, with more in high-wear areas. This should hopefully last for a full year and keep the worst of the growth at bay.

Underwater hull - before and ufter.