Oxalic Acid

We’ve had a number of comments and replies to yesterday’s comment about my need for some oxalic acid in order to remove the black water stain at the base of the porthole timber liners.

Ray & Diane on nb Ferndale suggested I purchase (Wood Bleach) from Brewers(www.brewers.co.uk).  At least we have a potential source.  Then Paul (The Manly Ferry) came up with an even better suggestion……  Nick some off Ray & Diane!  But the best solution to date was from our friend “Towpath Bill” at Newbury.  Use rhubarb leaves!  A quick check on Google established the following….

Although many admire rhubarb for its tart flavour, the plant contains a harmful chemical substance known as oxalic acid. This acid reacts with nutrients inside the body to cause a number of health issues, including joint pain and kidney stones. Distilling the oxalic acid from rhubarb leaves into water and then adding calcium carbonate in the form of precipitated chalk will cause the oxalic acid to form into oxalate crystals, which can then be strained from the mixture.

So dear readers with a canal side property and rhubarb in the veggie garden do not be surprised if you find your rhubarb exfoliated.

I was pottering around on the cabin roof this morning attempting to remove all the duck and pigeon poo when a passing boat called out mentioning they read this load of boring tripe.  It was Sue and Ken on nb Cleddau (Boatwif).  Sue writes a good yarn.  Ken mentioned they would be looking for a mooring in Braunston.  I hope they got lucky because vacant 48 hour moorings looked to be as scarce as rocking horse droppings. 

After scurrying along the muddy towpath and up the road we managed to catch the 11.30 Number 12 bus to Daventry for some essential supplies.  There was only one other couple on board the bus.  “Golden oldies” like us.  Love that seniors bus pass….. it must have saved us a fortune during the last two years.  A quick visit to Aldi for the basics (beer and chocolate) and it was back to the bus station for the return trip.

Jan here….. It wasn’t supposed to be a quick trip through Aldi but someone decided we would cut out the remaining aisles once the beer and chocolate was in the trolley…..!

Back at Waiouru I climbed into my overalls boilersuit onesie and had another go at the paint on the bow thruster locker.  First task was to sand it back and remove the brush marks before dusting it off.  Then I sanded back the light grey paint on the bow deck before masking the area.  Towpath Bill had already left a comment suggesting more liberal use of the Owatrol and to ensure there was plenty of paint on the brush when doing the final feathering off.

The results this time are slightly better.

It looks OK from a distance.  But when you get closer……….

Maybe those ripples will flatten out over the next couple of hours……. But maybe not! ?

I can already see the black and graphite paint in the bow deck is going to require repainting.

As I was cleaning up a passing boater asked “Are you a Morris Dancer?”  I immediately realized he had been attracted to my shapely right calf protruding from the shorten leg of my onesie.  “No!”  says me…… “Honourable Order of Oddfellows!”  Well I am honourable and also an odd fellow. 

The sky started to darken and Jan mentioned those awful words a painter hates to hear “Rain!”  A quick trip back to the bow revealed the local miggies had decided to Kamikaze the wet paint.  We also have a couple of beautiful and large dandelion heads on the wet bow paint.  Maybe they will polish out when the paint has dried?