It is Winter

It is now definitely Winter!

Maybe we closed the season a bit too early, but the trouble of launching and recovering at the Bruinisse Slip From Hell put us off a bit. We are considering getting Mekicevica a permanent berth next year.
In the meanwhile we found her a place in Scharendijke, on the West end of the Grevelingen where her keel is going to be attended to.
Her keel is showing rust streaks coming from the junction with the hull, a telltale sign of corrosion of the keel bolts. To preserve our piece of mind and the joy of sailing, I am going to drop the keel.

Rust coming from the junction between the keel and the hull, a worrying sign of corrosion of the keel bolts.

While I am at it, I am planning to sand-blast the keel and give it a coat of epoxy, both on the outside and in the slot of the centre plate. Than I will have a professional re-assemble the keel and seal the junction.
Apart from that, I am having a new centre-plate done, which I will also coat in epoxy.
That should keep me busy a good part of the Winter. Watch this space!