Out for the Winter

November is here and while many of our friends are beginning their voyages south to Florida and the Bahamas, we again have pulled the boat for the winter.  Next year... ..hopefully... it will be our turn.

Hauling out

A guy who was working on his catamaran in May was using Recovery Orange bottom paint on his rudder and dagger board.  He gave me what was left and I painted Dessie's rudders (on an earlier post). 

After a season in the Chesapeake Bay, the rudder looked like it had a beard.  The growth was far more extensive than the rest of the bottom.  The keels had West Marine Ablative, the hull Interlux Micron Ablative, and the rudders were a hard coat non-ablative racing paint from a manufacturer I did not write down.

One season with Tropical bottom paint on the rudders

The Interlux was both the best to prevent growth, and also the best at wearing off (Ablative).  It appears to be able to do another season, but we'll probably repaint it as we will repaint the keels and rudders with it as well.

We will be watching the progress of our friends as they travel south.  Here is one of the links.

Vision Quest: http://visionquestiv.wordpress.com 

I hope to use the Hobie Cat with a wet suit for a little longer.

Brrrrr.