Purple Fingers

Yes, Jan and I have again been out along the towpath picking blackberries.  But they didn’t give up without a flight.  Hiding among the stinging nettles and covered in thorns.  But it will take more than that to deter us!  We couldn’t find the elusive local crab apple and pear trees but have sufficient blackberries for another crumble.  Before writing about today’s progress on Waiouru I must mention Bill.  Two days ago he congratulated me on the post from the previous day.  He couldn’t find one grammar or spelling error.  That’s an error in itself!

Richard; being a glutton for punishment; cleaned off all the heads on the oak plugs in the back cabin.  All that is left is the galley.  We suspect he will be pleased when they are all done!

Darren painted the 4th coat of red onto the rear panels.  They now have a deep lustre and Jan seems quite pleased with the result.

The masking tape was also removed from the red handrails.

All four colours

The red ‘Boatman’s Beam’ on a very dirty roof

Darren has given the foredeck and cockpit their first coat of grey topcoat.

Whilst the red tunnel band received a second topcoat.

His last job for the day was to give all the ‘odds and sods’ (rear hatch cover, inspection plate, bike rack, etc) their first undercoat.  It’s Darren’s day off tomorrow which will give us a chance to do some interior sanding and perhaps a coat of varnish.

Apart from some fetching and carrying my major task was to cut rectangular ventilation holes in the sidewalls of the beds.  I still have to cut the high ventilation hole in the wet locker door.  A task for tomorrow!