A Christmas in Nelson is a real summer affair and our day was very relaxing, hanging out with the family at a local river where the grandkids were able to swim and try out their new inflatable dinghy after a picnic lunch under the trees. Christmas is so much more than just the giving of gifts, it really is all about family. There is always a gathering of yachties if we are overseas but it is one of those dates that reminds us how much we miss our ever-expanding family so we were thrilled to be home for this one.
A few days later Luke had their converted fishing boat "Argo" out on the main slip in Nelson and then began two weeks of hard work! Friends and family dropped by and did a few hours or days as they found time so a lot of jobs got crossed off the list. Luke did very long days and Phil joined him every day.
This is how she looked when Luke and Ella bought her in Dunedin 18 months ago.
The hull was tidied up and painted , the antifouling around the waterline scraped back to bare wood and the rest scraped free of loose antifouling.
The bulwarks were replaced halfway down both port and starboard sides.
Phil's brother Mark put in several long days helping with the bulwarks.
The rudder was taken off to have the front edge removed and 50mm more added for more balance.
The rudder stock was shortened 150mm to get it below the deck.
Luke had the quadrant sandblasted and zinc sprayed.
Kevin handpainting on her name.
All the through-hulls were pulled, the seacocks replaced and here she is, ready to go back in and looking pretty smart after all that hard work. Great team effort!
Luke and Ella are planning to explore NZ with their 3 children in the near future and can be followed at www.cruisingonargo.weebly.com
