Cleaning our boat never felt so good

Order returns to Oceanus: Our boat is finally clean and orderly after completion of major projects.

Yesterday was a fun day for my wife and I. We gave the boat a through cleaning, installed some equipment and moved a few more things aboard. It feels much more like a home now.

Most the major construction and painting projects inside Oceanus, our Columbia 43, are finished... I think. When I made a statement to that effect, my wife said, "That's what I said about painting two gallons ago."

Maybe I'm kidding myself, but it sure feels like we've turned the corner. I'm so convinced that I brought our big shop vac home.

Virginia cleaned and put away, erasing the bad effects of several weeks of major projects.

Virginia glued a piece of hull blanket to cover the exposed fiberglass under the workbench in the forepeak.

She also installed a piece of hull blanket in the forepeak. She glued the hull blanket on some exposed fiberglass under the work bench opposite the forepeak bunk. It was nicely painted, but still the heavy weave of the fiberglass was not attractive. It also lacked insulation and was cold to the touch. Now it looks and feels great.

Moving aft, she made up our bunk for the first time in several weeks. With all the sawdust and paint fumes, we haven't been able to sleep aboard the boat for some time, something we have both missed.

The new rug was on a clearance sale. We cut it to fit around the mast. 

Virginia found a rug at Lowe's we both liked. It is a runner almost eight feet long. Virginia carefully patterned around the mast and I cut the rug to fit. We are very pleased with the results.

Nothing says home like a stack of towels. The brown ones are a new type of quick-dry towels we really like and that dry quick.

We brought a couple of boxes of towels and other household items to the boat. We need to get them out of the house to reduce clutter when we put it on the market this month. It felt good to see towels stacked in the locker where they will live.

Tub for two: Daughter-in-law Margene demonstrates the roomy soaking tub on Oceanus with newest grandchild Peter.

I worked some more on plumbing, installing the tub faucet. The faucet has a diverter valve for a shower.

In the main saloon I installed the stereo speakers and stereo. I also cut a hole in the bulkhead for our new VHF radio. Next week when our son-in-law, the electrician, visits we'll hook them up.

The marine stereo, speakers and Standard Horizon VHF radio are in place ready to be wired up next week. 

We came home tired but happy. Then we spent two hours cleaning out house. That was not nearly as fun as working on the boat.