The absolute last of it……

As forecast, we awoke to rain which continued all morning until finally stopping at 1pm. 
Yesterday I masked up the final part of the bilge and managed to spray a coat of primer onto it.  This is the first time I’ve painted the area around the stern gland since the engine was installed.  Actually the area is visibly inaccessible to me so all the cleaning was done by feel and photography.  My technique was to point the camera into the area and blindly take photos.  This enabled me to eventually clean the entire area.  The dripless stern gland was then wrapped in old rags before I applied the grey primer using the aerosol can.

Second coat

All done by guesswork intelligent logic.
It was impossible for me to see how effective the application had been so I again reverted to the camera trick.

I can’t bend much further than that.  Well the truth is the relaxed abdomen muscles are creating an obstacle along with the extremely tight hamstrings.

The dripless stern gland means the only water in the bilge is from condensation.  Despite that, this part of the bilge does get dirty.  Hopefully it is now good for another two years.  I’d forgotten how powerful the fumes from using an aerosol in a confined space can be.  I suspect I’ve destroyed more than a few lung and brain cells.  Good job I have Jan to do the thinking!
In the afternoon we wandered through the adjacent Willowtree Park before arriving at a nearby Tesco where we bought some essential supplies.  I then invited Jan for a coffee in the supermarket cafe.  Fortunately Jan had bought her purse.  On the way back to Waiouru I realised why we have a good internet signal.

Most of the passing canal traffic is coming out of London.  Probably those boaters with CRT winter moorings who are required to vacate them by the end of the month.  The terms and conditions for our mooring at Little Venice state we must immediately advise them if we break down and can’t move.  It goes on to state they will arrange a tow (at our expense).  Today these boats passed.

Perhaps the owner of the red boat was moored in Little Venice?