The boat never looked so good. After a little cosmetic work using two part acrylic urethane paint, Dan of Dan's Boat Repair and Transport (941) 755-4512, sprayed her beautifully. She is now adorned with her name.

A new rub-rail was attached after the paint job was completed. Original remanufactured parts for Pearson and O'day sailboats are found at D & R Marine (508) 644-3001.

Two tips for installing new rub rail from Dan:
1. Using a pencil, mark the boat with a line directly above the screws. This makes locating the holes that will be hidden with the new track easy to find.
2. When heating the track to bend the corners, heat the inside of the track. The corners will come out clean and snug.

Rudy of D & R gave the following advice:
Be patient, use a heat gun and have patience. Did I mention, be patient?
The job took two days.

The engine was serviced, sandblasted, primed and painted green like the boat.

The winches were locked solid. Salt had done its magic. They were disassembled, polished and greased before they were put back.

New pelican hooks on the aft end of the lifelines and a swaged stopper at the last stanchion were added. This keeps the lifeline taut and in place while the aft piece is removed for boarding into the cockpit.

The original pintles and gudgeons were replaced with new hardware adding an additional set for strength. The helm never felt so smooth.

Two of the three lights on the mast were out. It made sense to change them all. The contacts were either cleaned or reconnected. While the mast was down I took a stab at quieting the wires that slap inside it ringing like an alarm clock. 10" tie straps were attached to the wire in an " X " formation every foot and a half, once the wires were snaked out. I didn't cut the tightened strap's tail. I was hoping that the plastic tail of the tie strap would keep it from clanking. I am happy to report, so far so good.

Teak wedges were cut to correct the tilt of the outboard engine. New running lights were added. All the bright work was sanded and varnished several times. Any piece of hardware that showed signs of weakness or discoloration was replaced. All the stainless above deck was cleaned with Benzine and steel wool. This was a mistake. Use only bronze or stainless steel wool. Even after you rinse the boat well, small remaining deposits of the steel wool will make tiny rust spots.

I fastened the new life-ring, ditched the faded yellow horseshoe buoy and hooked the trailer up to the truck. Actually, I was at the boat store getting new bolts for the engine mount at that moment. I returned and tied the boat down to the trailer and off we went. I remember hoping I didn't forget anything else - but of course, I did.