Rain and a little repair job

Last Sunday was not the best of days, having postponed a cross channel trip due to the weather I was passing my time searching for the source of one of those annoying little leaks. Unfortunately I found it and it was a soft area in the deck. What to do? To repair it on the pontoon, although possible would not be easy. To leave it until the end of the season could only result in things getting worse. Nothing for it Epenetus would have to come out of the water. Sunday evening and as I hook up the trailer what would you know, some kind person has swapped out my nice new jockey wheel for a knackered old one complete with a puncture. Aren't  people just lovely! Oh well nothing for it but get on with it. An hour later job done and Epenetus was sitting on the trailer in the yard. 

 After a thorough inspection I found another spongy laminate just below the rubbing strake. 

Another strange thing was the paint had been stripped from the rudder, right down to the metal but just on one side.

After working Monday and Tuesday morning I eventually managed to make a start on the repairs on Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday evening the soft laminates had been cut out, new pieces put in and everything repainted. I had to get a move on because of the weather coming in on Thursday. Well they forecast rain and rain we got, lots of it. Some summer this is, on the positive side though at least I know that the leak has been fixed. 

Friday evening and Epenetus is on the way back to the water

 With all of this practice we'll be able to launch and retrieve in our sleep soon

Apart from the knackered jockey wheel the launch went well