Mayday weekend 2006 on the Ross Revenge.
The Paintathlon continues.......
With much of the starboard side repainted over the Easter weekend, Mayday holiday weekend 2006 saw the crew tackling a rather neglected and normally hard to reach part. Turning the ship through 180 degrees whilst putting her backwards into the dock had another positive advantage. It was time to tackle her rather large but lovely and curvy rear end.
First we had to devise a method of pulling her backwards by about 20 feet, to pull her hard into the rear of the dock.
A long rope round the anchor winch, stretching over the side and onto a bollard towards the rear of the dock served the prupose.
However as our longest rope wasn't long enough, we had to tie a large knot in the middle and add an extra piece. Ever tried tyng a knot in a 3 inch diameter rope?
Then of course, we have to check the tension in the rope.
Having passed both the Big Al and Lee test we pronounced it suitably tight.
Oh dear, did we scrape the paintwork? I guess that's the no claims bonus gone.....
Lee and Alan having just moved the ship whilst Peter just arrives, First time any of us have been able to closely inspect this part of the old girl.
Lee and Peter set to work with grinders and needle guns.
It's a long time since her rear end was painted, so it doesn;t take long to get most of the old flaking paint removed.
The angle grinders allows most of the surface rust to be taken off, along with the original primer, thus giving a clean metal surface for the new primer to adhere too.
Then it's time for the first coat of zinc based red oxide primer. If you look carefully along the top edge, you can make out where her name has previously been cut into the metal with a welders torch.
Whilst the primer is applied round the stren, more chipping and grinding is continuing along the hull.
David, Roland and Peter hard at work. This part of the hull is very badly pitted and rusted, and with the structure of the ribs and fittings takes quite a while to prepare.
Note all the diagonal grooves in the hull around this area. These have all been cut in by years and years of wear by the steel wire trawl lines as they have been hauled and winched aboard.
Time for a tidy up with bare metal ready for priming.
Whilst Lee starts the lettering. I'll have an "E" please Lee!
and a "G"......
Can you tell what it is yet?
Let's have an "S" please Lee.
And another.......
Some O's anyone?
Almost there.....
David, Lee, Roland, Alan and Peter, the mayday weekend crew.
