5-20.

Finished the trailer modifications today.  We made these side supports to keep the boat from tipping sideways off the trailer since the bottom of the boat is so much narrower than the outside gunnels.  These will just stabilize the boat when it is tied down on the trailer. 

Then we loaded up the boat and rolled her out to the front yard again.  We slid it off onto the grass and rolled it over onto cement blocks to wash the amine blush off.  The boat is heavy, but I am able to tip it up on its side by myself - it's just like a big, unwieldy canoe.

After it was rolled over we got a good view of the undersides of the gunnels for the first time.  I didn't take a before pic, but there were a few places where we hadn't clamped the gunnels while the epoxy was hardening and there were tiny air holes between the side of the boat and the gunnels.  So we mixed up some liquid epoxy and poured that into the gaps, then filled with solid.

While the epoxy was hardening, we went ahead and finished painting the trailer side supports, sanded the rudder and rudder stock for another coat of varnish, and sanded and primed the lid of the aft seat compartment.
Earlier in the week, Daddy had put another coat of varnish on everything and put the first coat of paint of the bottom of the mast.  The top foot or so will also be painted white, along with the end of the lug (a traditional look).

He also primed the centerboard earlier this week, and on the blocks is the newly primed seat lid.

In the front yard, we washed the hull with water and scrubbers, then rolled it back into the carport.  We flipped it over outside, then Mom helped us carry it back onto the blocks.  We sanded the hull and gunnels, then I vacuumed and blew and dusted really well.

And we painted!  I rolled and Daddy followed to tip it out with a foam brush.  The paint was drying really fast, so we had a hard time keeping a wet line, and the first coat is not too attractive, but it is the first coat and will be sanded and our techniques will be perfected.

Now it looks like a real boat.

The first intruder on the fresh coat of paint.  Bugs are weirdly attracted to wet epoxy and paint.

5-9.

Since the last post, we've been working on small projects and continuing to add coats of varnish to everything that needs it.  I made a spare belay pin that is longer - should be easier to work with, and I'll have an extra if one should break.  Daddy's been working on trailer modification - we ordered two more pieces to build supports on for the sides of the boat.  Below is just the aluminum piece attached to the trailer frame.  

This is an idea of what the support will actually look like, but it might be two layers of wood thick for extra strength, and it will be carpeted.

I also finally got a hitch on my car.  The guys that put it on knew that I had lived up north because the underside of my car is riddled with rust (after only 1.5 winters)!  They almost weren't able to bolt the hitch on because the holes where the bolts go were really rusted - but they said it should hold fine since they were able to attach it.

We also decided to get rid of the toe stubber at the aft end of the centerboard case.  Daddy cut it off and epoxied over the raw wood on the bottom, so that'll have to be smoothed out now.  In its place will go a block of maple that the mainsheet pulley will be attached to.  And we won't have to worry about a silly decorative toe stubber in the cockpit.