Still working on the Boat!!!

This is getting a little old! We can't believe how long the engine work is taking. The mechanic is such a perfectionist. Everything is taken out, methodically cleaned and then put back. As a somewhat perfectionist myself, you would think I would have an appreciation for this festidious work. However, there is a limit to my appreciation and they have exceeded that. We were to be on the water and traveling by now. Not so. The engine is not even in the boat yet. A week behind the last stated schedule. I use the word schedule, as if there ws one. Hmmm. The head went on the engine 3 days ago. It is still sitting on the shop floor. It is anyone's guess what to expect. Peter checked the exhaust manifold and found the seawater had ate a hole in one section of it, and more and more he thinks the seawater got into the engine, and into the last piston and blew it up. He has searched and searched for another manifold. Thought we had one. It came in, only to find it was the wrong one. We don't seem to be able to find a freshwater manifold. Yesterday he contacted someone in Fairhope, Alabama, who will build a stainless steel manifold. Sent photos of the existing one. And guess what! It will take 3 weeks. Git 'Er Done. You might ask about the Windlass installation? One of the components fried during installation, new one was ordered and shipped Thursday. There seems to be a pervasive theme within this story. One step forward and 2 steps back. There is some good news. Peter took a metal bristled brush and a man tool and cleaned all the crustaceans off the propellers and shafts. They are brass, and are looking great. He emptied the bilge water and I was able to get down into the well and paint it white. Not sure how long it will last, but it looks great right now. He also sucked all the oily water from under the starboard engine well and I have cleaned it. Ready for a coat of white. But first ..... I had painted under the splash rail at the bow of the hull. It had looked awful. What a difference. And yes, you guessed it. We decided that while the boat is out of the water and everything is taking so long. We probably have time to paint the hull. Peter has been sanding and then he helps me with the painting. We have one coat on the hull and Peter has sanded the port side again ready for the second coat. Brightside is a great product. We are rolling it on, and while it is not perfect ..... It is an improvement. It is a 38 year old hull. It no longer is oxidized, it is all one color and shiny. Do you have any idea how long it takes to paint a 43 foot hull in 90 degee weather and high humidty. Waay tooo long, but the results are compelling. We also used a navy blue Brightside to paint th stripe on the fly bridge. Looking good. This is Saturday morning. I am sitting on the front porch at Jim and Linda's overlooking the saltwater marsh. We are approaching low tide. The birds are singing. Enjoying my second cup of coffee and considering a third one. Life is good. The boatyard is closed on the weekend, so no painting today. To bad, because 2 or 3 more days should finish the hull. We will need to decide whether or not to put a navy blue boot stripe on the hull. Kathy and Martin have been to Florida looking at houses. Last night she texted that they were Snowbirds. Found a house on a lake. They are dropping by today and we will hear more. We are house sitting for the next week while Jim and Linda are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with their family on the Turks. The Franko's found a boat in the upper states, a 28 foot Bayliner that they want to keep in Canada to summer on the Trent and the Great Lakes. They said everyone else had 2 boats, and thought they should also. Well, we will see what next week brings. The successes and the challenges. Isn't that boating.