Productive Weekend - Two steps forward, no steps back!

The main task for the weekend was to get the rudder back on King Malu. Repairs complete, so a couple of layers of hull guard and some anti-fouling round the stock (we'll put anti-fouling on the whole hull later).

The bolts holding the rudder plate go into threads in the epoxy for the hull. This slightly worries me, but it's been like it for decades so I am guessing it will be OK.

With the rudder back on it feels like King Malu is nearly ready for the water. The new electric drive was supposed to be picked up in Italy on Friday, so it's all coming together.

Tim lightly sanded the whole hull and it's looking very much better. We could have sanded slightly more and the colour would be restored, but we want to give a thorough sanding before we paint the hull in a year or two's time, so didn't want to remove too much of the gelcoat.

We couldn't actually go back in the water this week even if we were ready. The marina is changing the pontoons and we have been blocked in where we are on the hard by the finger pontoons. We've been assured they will be gone in two weeks!

The other task is the electrical panel. This photo doesn't do it justice. I ran out of spade terminal sockets so could not finish it. Will do so later in the week.

Final thing was to measure up the exhaust pipe for the generator. We have been using a rubber exhaust, but we want to get it out of the way of the new electric motor, so will get a custom stainless steel one bent and welded. Tim came up with a brilliant idea to use the heat of the exhaust to heat the water for onboard hoat water, so when I go talk to Techno-Metaliki about the exhaust, we want to see if they can make a sleeve for water heating around the exhaust.