Welding up the small cracks in the aluminum double hull.

More welding on the seam of the aluminum second plate.

Sand-blasted and primer-ready for bottom paint.  Note  the outdrive is  still mounted to the bench, being worked on.

Ready and waiting for the finished outdrive.  The shiny block on the right is a new sacrificial aluminum anode, used to protect the boat hull.

Any time you have two different metals that are physically or electrically connected and immersed in seawater, they become a battery. Some amount of current flows between the two metals. The electrons that make up that current are supplied by one of the metals giving up bits of itself--in the form of metal ions--to the seawater. This is called galvanic corrosion and, left unchecked, it quickly destroys underwater metals.

The most common casualty of galvanic corrosion is a bronze or aluminum propeller on a stainless steel shaft, but metal struts, rudders, rudder fittings, outboards, and stern drives are also at risk. The way to counteract galvanic corrosion is to add a third metal into the circuit, one that is quicker than the other two to give up its electrons. This piece of metal is called a sacrificial anode.

Bottom sand-blasted and primered, ready for bottom paint, which will be rolled on.

Bottom sand-blasted and with primer, ready for bottom paint, which will be rolled on.  Also more of the aluminum anodes.  View if from the front to  rear of the boat.  The ridge in the middle of the boat is like a center board (dagger board) on a sail-boat, to help prevent the boat from sliding sideways in the water.

Bottom ready for bottom paint.  View is looking across the boat, with the bow thrusters in the right of the picture.

Old bow thrusters were leaking after the boat had been out of the water for a week….which is not good.  Likely these were factory installed when the boat was new, meaning they are kind of old.  Let’s see, rebuild or replace?  Your thoughts?

Old bow thrusters with some corrosion -- not bad for the age of the thrusters, but still leaking.  We need new thrusters.

Here you can see the thruster where it was leaking. If you look close, you can see the bottom of both can portions are leaking.

New bottom paint, Yea!  Also, the boot stripe was removed from the bottom of the boat, near the waterline. This was a red stripe that needed to be repaint or removed.

New bottom paint.  The view is the front portion of the boat with the double hull for protection….in case we hit low water.

New bow thrusters….don’t they look good?  Also in the bottom of the picture is another aluminum anode (shiny silver under the thruster well.)

Another view of the bow thrusters, all ready to go back in the water.

New bottom paint and aluminum anodes, along the center-board.

New Speed/Temperature gauge, mounted in the bottom of the boat.  This is like a speedometer.  It is hard to see, but there is a small paddle wheel in the middle of the new gauge, which spins to indicate the speed of the boat.

New bottom paint and aluminum anodes.

Corner of the double hull, where the seam was welded and repainted.

Starboard outdrive, propeller, and stern thruster (bottom right in picture) on left rear side of boat.  This is the new stern thruster, replacing the one discovered missing when we pulled the boat out of the water….likely the cause of the hydraulic fluid spilling in the river.  You think?

New bottom paint, just after the boat was lifted off the blocks and jacks…getting ready to go back in the water.

Other side of the port outdrive and propeller, and on right rear side of the boat.  The propeller still has the tape on it from the reconditioning packaging …you have to love that Duck Tape!

Starboard outdrive with new propeller and silver anode set (the shiny silver parts).

Starboard outdrive, propeller, and stern thruster (far-left in picture) on right rear side of boat.  Better picture of the Duck Tape on the propeller. It MAY come off after it has been spinning for a while….it may.

Center (rear) transom of boat.  Behind this wall is where the engines live.  This photo is under the swim platform.  Also new silver aluminum anodes.

Lifted up and ready to head back into the water after a 29-day repair job.

Backing up the boat, into the street, to clear the front end….heading for the water, in front of the boat.

Now, hard left and toward the water.

Lined up toward the water, now just forward….but slowly.

Down the pier and back into the water.

Careful now…over the edge of the pier….and we are almost there.

Almost in place….just forward a bit more.  By the way, can you tell it was raining?  Fun, fun, fun.  I guess it really shouldn't matter; it’s a boat, right?!

In place!  Now, get ready to  drop it…..well, maybe lower it slowly.

Down she goes, but slowly.

Going down!

Down slowly.

Now much room to play with….actually we have an inch or two to spare.

See the inches we had left….they are somewhere in there….look closely.

Starboard side fits, but just.

Port side also fits, but just barely, as well.