Varnishing

Once you launch after a big refit you start looking at everything else and it really does your head in, for us it was the varnish. We struggled to get the motivation and got a couple of quotes from people to strip all the outside varnish for us, but while getting the quotes we realised we were shit sick of dealing with workers and what the hell are we thinking let's just get on with it and do it ourselves. After some advise from the old owners we used a paint stripped called "Peel Away" a citric based stripper that didn't hurt your hands or seem to damage the 2 pack paint although we were very careful with it and it did cause a fair bit of stress at the start! Once we got the hang of it though it couldn't have been easier and we had all the outside wood stripped and sanded in 3 days so it wasn't too bad at all. We thought we would give the most expensive varnish in the world a go, Awlgrips Awlwood. You first apply a primer which is also sort of a varnish that goes super hard and you can put a few coats of that on over a few days and sand a lot of the holes out and it comes out pretty good. Then the actual varnish goes on really nice and "we"(I'm not allowed to hold a brush) managed to put 3 coats on a day for 4 days and she came up very nice and shiny indeed. In total I think it was less than 10 days work and only the first 3 were hard days and even those had a few beers in between so all in all it was a lot easier than we thought it would be thanks to the paint stripper and hopefully it will last another 10 years before it all has to be totally stripped again. 

Once that was finished it was time to find a marina and pack up Sunflower and we both flew to Bali for my sister's wedding which was absolutely beautiful. Not long after arriving I was of course called by work to get back to Aus so I had to cut my trip short but luckily Julie could stay on for another week. She's now back onboard for the last month and I'm due to fly back next week so it's happy days. On the 18th of November there is a high tide and we should be able to get out of the river without  scratching up the bottom over the sandbar so that will give us 10 days once I'm back to get ready. Will be busy as we have a few things to do including fitting a new autopilot but I'm sure we can do it no problem, then maybe back to Belize and catch a few fish while waiting for a good weather window to head for Panama, that's the plan for now anyway ;)

Stripping

sanding

The Shine:)

Finally Floating

After nearly 7 months we are finally floating again, it was a long slog that's for sure but these things always take longer than expected, right??? 3 months it took the yard to paint the topsides/deck and mast. It was a long time for sure, but as with paint you never seem to get it right the first time, well in this case it was, that's for sure. Whether it's a run, overspray, dirty fingers and of course the weather but one thing is for sure Sunflower is well protected with all the paint on her! We are very happy with the end result that finally arose anyway. While they were painting it wasn't all sitting around for us either, we were flat out stripping the mast, polishing all mast and deck fittings, re bedding all fittings and windows, sorting out toe rail the list goes on. Also inside we took out the mast compression post, strengthened its base, new wood and more support for it to sit on, while we were there may as well paint the bilge, take the water tanks out, paint the floorboards oh and while the windows are out paint the ceiling the list just goes on.

The day after the 3rd and final attempt of the topsides getting painted and we were all happy I got a call from work and we had to pack up and head out the next day, perfect timing but a mad rush all the same. Julie went home to Argentina and I flew to Perth and then went to sea for 6 weeks which was a great cash injection as we had certainly been chewing it up. 

The bottom was sandblasted as soon as we were hauled so when we returned after nearly 6 months sitting she was definitely dry and good to go. Sandblasting left a pretty rough surface so we got a couple of guys to sand it back a bit (very itchy job!) and then we finished the rest. Big process, doing little sections at a time, like 3sq metres. First a coat of West System epoxy resin to the taped off area, let it go tacky (about half an hour) then mix epoxy resin with a filler called colloidal silica till it's like peanut butter and then trowel it on filling the holes, then a second and sometimes 3rd go all going on wet on tacky. When you have a couple of areas going on at once you can't really stop all day, especially in the heat of the day it all dries faster and your running around like a madman covered in epoxy, not much fun at all and hats off to Julie who was a star. The end result is a super strong finish that protects the fibreglass really well. The thing that's not good though is how hard it is to sand! So we got the yard guys back for a couple of days to sand and fair that back and then we carried on bogging some more to places that needed it and then more sanding and more bogging, could go on forever really but we got it pretty good. Once finished they lifted us and moved chocking under the keel and we did that and then 4 coats of Interprotect went on. Interprotect is an epoxy paint with some additive that protects water ingress that happens over time and gets into the fibreglass and causes osmosis. Once that has dried a week and all the solvents are cured it was time for Coppercoat, Coppercoat is another type of water based epoxy that you get in a 1 litre kit plus 2kg of copper powder. You mix this kit together and roll it on doing 5 coats in 6 hours with 3 of us working flat out. Once it's dried after about 3 days you then sand it and you basically have a supper hard, smooth copper bottom that lasts for 10 years all going well. It's more expensive than traditional antifouling paint but pays for itself after a few years of not having to haul out and pay all those bills once again. You can dive on the bottom and scrub without losing all your expensive paint!

The downside of this is it's waterbased and takes so long to dry, any rain for the first 24hours and you will have big runs that will eat right through. Guatemala is anything but dry, one of the wettest countries on the planet and we are trying to do this mid wet season! We waited and waited for what looked like might be a dry night on the forecasts but it didn't happen so we built a waterproof tent and went for it. We said if it looks good in the morning let's go for it. No rain the night before and clear sky's we had the first coat on before 8am, then just before lunch the clouds rolled in and the sky's opened up 30knts of wind and lightning and thunder to boot, worst bloody day we have had, you just never know here funny things happen in just half an hour with all these mountains around. Anyway our tent held up well and we were fine, just the blood pressure well high. 

Another high blood pressure moment was putting back the mast, not a great feeling but that all went well. Then a night later we had a LOT of rain and wind and we had a BIG leak inside from the mast support. I nearly cried, gut wrenching on the brink of throwing up. We had put shitloads of silicone, how did we miss that spot??! Drove me mad, re siliconed the bolts and then I saw a bit of sand out a drain hole. They sandblasted the mast, you idiot it's just full of sand! I thought we had got it all out but obviously not. So we drilled the drain holes out a little larger and then with the hose just kept flushing inside the mast out for a couple of hours and then waiting nervously for the rain. We were good, not a drop, those visions of taking the mast back off and putting a tiny dob of silicone on were gone:) 

Another big job has been installing the watermaker, same old story may as well paint the back hatch then that leads to something else and the list goes on.... Anyway that is finished and seems to be working although it is hard to say for sure as we are in fresh water here but I think it's good.

So it's been a long slog for sure but now we are good to go to the Pacific and "hopefully" our maintenance bills are not so big for the next few years. 

We will stay in Guatemala until probably November and then sail on to Panama or Colombia once the weather is good, that's the plan anyway. 

Just like to say Julie you are a star, thanks for all your effort and patience!!xxx

Slow process!!

But now we have topsides and shiny copper bottom!

More shine

Shit everywhere!!

2 pack varnish came up a treat

Stripped

Deck finished

Starting the epoxy sections

The home straight, rolling on the Coppercoat 

Watermaker 

All seems to be working!

Trying to sell a load of our unwanted treasures at the swap meet!

Finally back on anchor!!!

Refit Time

This might sound very boring for some.....

We're in the thick of it now, that's for sure but it started 3 weeks ago just after we arrived. There are 3 boatyards here in Rio Dulce that can haul you out. We wanted to do the work in RAM Marina but got quotes from people in the other 2 first to compare. After buying all the paints in the USA to bring here before we arrived I had an email from the American owner of the yard here saying we had to use their products for the paint job so didn't have much hope of being able to do it in RAM. After a meeting though with the Manager Karen and a talk with the head painter this ended up not being a problem and when the quote was given we were super happy as it was just in our budget and this is a very professional place. As they are a one stop shop so to speak they could do us a bundle on everything including-removal of mast, sandblast off all old bottom paint back to bare glass, paint topsides, deck and sandblast mast and paint, haul out and handstand fees and even included accommodations in a share house they have for the time it takes to complete the job.

Taking off the mast was an eye opener, they strapped 3 telephone poles to the travel lift with some pulleys and man power but it worked real well!! Next was the haul out and sandblasting, that took nearly 5 days of real dusty going but it came up well. We had some osmosis blisters but it wasn't too bad at all and now we are back to a bare base it can dry quicker and we can start fresh with huge amounts of epoxy to go back on but it will be all good in the end. Next they moved us back to the concrete work area and the boys started preparing the deck for painting. They estimated 3 weeks for the deck and I thought the work ethic would be pretty casual but we are REALLY surprised they are into it flat out and are doing a great job, really getting into every detail including a lot of epoxy and fibreglassing work I didn't think was so necessary but great all the same like new glass pads for stanchions and staysail and strengthening other areas they really are getting stuck into it, it's amazing to watch and to think we can actually afford to have all this work done on our budget Sunflower will be new once again........

Not for a while though, at least another 6 weeks to finish the painting, then we have the bottom to do also and put the stripped mast back together and back on. Also a lot of other jobs, a big one was we got the mast compression post out from inside and will strengthen that and put a new wooden base for it to sit on so at the moment the floors are all stripped from inside and we will also varnish them. Then there is a leaking stainless water tank that's pulled out, prop to rebuild, cutlass bearing, maybe drop the rudder and a lot of other little stainless repairs, yep we fricken flat out!! Not to mention every deck fitting we pulled out to polish and clean up the nuts and bolts, we have a hell of a lot to do but will get there in the end but at the moment it's just one big mess!! 

The weather has been great for nearly a week  now with no rain and that makes for great progress but the heat is right up there also so we normally take a couple of hours for lunch and have a beer and get stuck back into it later on. 

Our French friends left today on Syrah so that was a bit sad as it's been great fun hanging out with them in the evenings.  So now we will just carry on chipping away and will update in a couple of weeks when hopefully the deck is all painted.

Taking off the mast

Stress is just about over

Sandblasting 

Getting ready for painting

We stripped the deck for them to paint

Progress 

Lots of epoxy

We will redesign and strengthen mast base

Our workstation 

Goodbyes to the French 

Guatemala

Guatemala, it's bloody amazing!! Well we have only been here just over 2 weeks now but are absolutely loving it. We arrived at the sandbar at the entrance of the Rio Dulce river just before sunrise to go in on the high tide. We draw just under 2m and had a 54cm tide and from the waypoints we found online chanced it and went in but not long after we're pushing through the mud. A nice fisherman came alongside for a little support and said we were in the deeper water but that didn't help much!! We committed, gave it shit and pushed on through for 400m,down at one stage to .5kt just making way we could feel it was just mud but we made it anyway. When we leave next time I will have to do some serious survey in the dinghy beforehand that's for sure! By the look of the worn antifoul we pushed through maybe 20cm deep mud.

There are a LOT of stories about Guatemala and lots of them are not so good, a bit like Madagascar and that was one of our favourite places. It's funny the more 3rd world you go a lot of the time the more friendly the people are but sure you can also find yourself in trouble if you're in the wrong places or not so careful! But so far we couldn't be happier to be here. 

Checking in with Customs ect in Livingstone was super easy with the help of the local agent Raul, all done very quickly with the officials really polite and friendly not asking for any bribes or trying to rip us off. Livingstone is the mouth of the river Dulce and  mainly makes its way from the fishing fleet, it is nice enough place for the day with a few local bars and restaurants but not a lot else to do there and apparently not the place to stay overnight as a few boats have had stuff stolen of their deck while asleep.

Heading up to Rio Dulce town is about 25nm up the river and the scenery is just spectacular. Big green canyons on either side for the first 7 miles with loads of birds and fisherman it's really stunning. Then the river opens up wide and before long you're in the first main town Rio Dulce. Everyone gets around by water rather than car it seems and they all wave and are genuinely nice which leaves a smile on my face. The town must have 10+ little marinas, a lot of yachts just anchored also and then 3 boatyard's you can haul and do work in. The main town is small and a little chaotic but has lots of rustic charm for sure, loads of little stores selling everything you need including the freshest and nicest vegetables we have seen for a real long time. There's a couple of really good little hardware stores for the gear we need and also a couple of real nice little bars on the water, one we have become very familiar with "Sundog Cafe" has it's own jetty we can safely leave the dinghy. My Spanish is coming along well, I'm the second week into having lessons each morning at Sundog which I'm really enjoying.

Now we are full on into a refit and will post some more pics of that soon

Livingstone 

Coming into the canyon 

Belize Islands

The last 3 weeks we have been island hopping 120nm down the coast stopping in lots of different spots. The first 2 weeks we had plenty of wind and a fair amount of rain so most of the times we were hidden in the mangroves. The fishing has been mixed, not a lot of big fish around at all but still manage to always get a feed which is great and most of the time we can find lobsters so we have been eating pretty well for sure. Anchored at the Colson Cays for a few days and there were a lot of Blue Holes, just a big hole that has dropped right down with massive cracks running sometimes for 50m with lobsters wedged inside it was pretty cool.

We met a nice French family on Syrah and have hung out and fished a lot with which has been fun. Placencia was the last town we stopped in, well actually only the second town we had been to and was nice enough for a couple of days to have a look around and meet a few cruisers who like to hang there. There's not many yachts at all in this part of the world which is surprising although with the high fees, prices and not that many nice beaches maybe it's not all surprises. Maybe when the weather is better next month and you can hang out at the reef it would be perfect but December and January are probably not the best but it was still well worth it to finally eat fresh fish again!! Now we have just arrived in Guatemala and it's bloody amazing, completely different to be in the jungle😀

Belize!

We arrived in San Pedro After a pretty rough 5 day passage, the wind just didn't give in..Sunday night 50nm out from SP we dropped all sail to slow down and were still doing 4-5kts, bloody windy. The charts just show the barrier reef and no channel into San Pedro so luckily we had a 27year old guide book :) with the wind and swell right up and no sleep it wasn't really ideal to say the least and after going up and down to first find the channel and then radioing up for local knowledge and after getting no reply and seeing the yellow buoy it was time to commit or bash 30nm south, we committed. We literally surfed a bloody big wave in, with Julie up on the bow with complete horror on her face and I'd say mine was no better, only option to give it stick and surf and was happy we had the double ender stern but it was still by far the scariest situation we've had in Sunflower. Once you get to the yellow buoy it's a dog leg to starboard and then you're inside the shelter of the reef and all is well and was time to crack open the champagne !!
San Pedro is Belize's most touristy town but still isn't too crazy, just a few charter boats but no other cruising boats to be seen. We waited until Tuesday to check in as we found out Monday was a public holiday and didn't want to pay overtime fees as it's already expensive at $150us. Once the wind died down it's bloody beautiful crystal clear water in the sandy anchorage. We spent 3 days doing our things and having a few coldies in the local establishments but it's not cheap, almost the same as the US so it was time to head south and catch some fish