Bullocks Island government hardstand is a very well run facility with safety and security featuring very high. One has to do an online safety course before they will take you out of the water with a well managed travel lift. It was done very well but they sure know how to charge for extras you did not ask for.
Finally get Malua on the ground with scaffolding all around. and ready to start the work.
An aside. One of the reasons I had chosen this location was that I had been negotiating with a potential purchaser of Malua who lived near Melbourne and we had agreed that as a condition of purchase he would organise an out of water survey to occur after the anti-fouling had been applied - about Wednesday.
He arrived on Friday evening just as I had docked Malua at the new location and asked to come aboard. After some hesitation I said yes and he came down below. From the instant he stepped aboard I knew he was not interested in the purchase because he took little interest in the vessel. I answered his questions and then asked him to leave but he again insisted to see the vessel on the hard on Monday - what could I say? On Monday he arrived and looked at the bottom and prop. I asked when would the surveyor be arriving and he came out with the statement: I have not arranged one! Well that left me up in the air with very little time to organise one at this location in two day. My full persuasive power where brought in to bear as I asked a local surveyor to do the job. Thankfully he arrived on the appointed time and undertook a very comprehensive and detailed survey. Malua passed with flying colours.
Now on with the work. I have completed a wash, sand and two coats of anti-fouling in less than 8 hours along the east coast of America when cruising in that area. That was hard work and good organisation but it is possible with a night to dry before splash down the next morning.
Our labour laws only let the locals work from 7:00 am to 3:50 pm four days a week - Fridays is early knock off. Here they want to lock up so you cant stay on board or work after hours. Most days I had to rush to pack up before they close and find a motel to stay the night in - just a short walk away.
No one afternoon I forgot a vital item on board as I hurried to close up Malua for the night and only realised that I had left it behind on reaching the motel. As they say in Australia "No worrys" This would not be the first or even the last marina with high fences I have entered after it was secure for the night. It would not be good protocol to reveal my modus operandi but I can tell you at low tide the security goes out with the water. I was able to walk - shoes off right into the compound and get my item then approach the automatic gate which opened for me to exit - easy
This is the first time I have ever used Prop Speed anti-fouling on one of my propellers. While in Queensland at Boat Works I was able to walk up to the counter of a chandler and order a small pack of the valuable covering - no questions asked. In NSW they will not sell you the product unless you go on a course with a very high price tag and the people who have undertaken the course are not allowed to sell you the product.
After reading the instruction more than once, watching the videos and finally doing the preparation in fine detail it was time to paint on this golden magical covering. Well it was simple and definitely not worth the cost of the course but wait will it work? We will have to wait and see.
Splash down happened rather easily and I motored up river again to find a spot along side a floating pontoon waiting for Denny to arrive - this time in our car for a few weeks cruising in the lakes
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