Swelling. Preparations for stepping the mast
Launching went smoothly, there was no drama with storming water or so - just the usual (but very unusual for GRP boat owners) steady drops of water along a few seams. Bilge pump was starting a few times during each hour but after a day intervals became longer and longer. Today the bilge is almost dry, the pump starts 2-3 times per day - the hull is almost entirely swollen, she will become dry by tomorrow.
I talked with Lennart most of the day today - we both were working with our boats and preparing masts for rigging. Lennart’s boat, since a few years, had very dramatic launchings, with lots of water getting in. This year, however, there was no drama - she hardly leaked!
All that thanks to a wonder of linseed oil and järnmönja! Lennart painted the hull with thick järnmönja, on the outside, while he also sprayed the inside with linseed oil + turpentine quite regularly during the winter. That did the trick.
I recall that the first years after I bought Meritaten I did the same - at that time I removed everything which could be unscrewed or lifted out of the hull to clean layers of dust and dirt. Then the entire hull was coated several times with hot oil, with just 10% of turpentine. On launching day she hardly leaked at all!
I must admit that since then I cheated a bit and oiled just the bilge and garboard plank. I thought that is enough - and indeed she does not leak in these areas. Now I see that it is indeed very wise to continue with oiling the hull - at least under the waterline - as I did in the beginning. It saves a great deal of uncertainty during spring launch! Spraying, instead of painting, should go faster so I could do it frequently throughout the winter.
Rigging my mast normally takes 10 minutes but it took me 6 hours today. Not because of technical problems but because it was so fun to talk with other sailors around! It was this type of experience which drove me to sailing in the first place - it is a social activity! And the weather was perfect today - sunny, lots of wind and clear blue sky.
I finally mounted VHF antenna on the mast top. There was no need to add any mounting - it was there already - and the antenna is not in collision with wind wane which is nice.
All sealed with rubber tape - weather proof!
While at the dock it is convenient to load the boat with all bulky stuff. It is much more acrobatic to do that later on, when we are at our summer harbor. I mounted madrases and the interior became cozy again. Good jazz music from the radio added to the atmosphere. Very nice day indeed!