Grease, Oil & Sweat.

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work."  ~Colin Powell

May 29, 2012

After work today, I went to the boat--more from habit than anything else.  This is what I do now; I visit the boat each evening after work.  

I was there alone tonight, walking around and looking at the work that has been done...looking at the work that has yet to be done.  Though I wasn't planning to do much, I suddenly wanted to see some progress.  

I decided to tackle the dirty job of cleaning the engine compartment.  40 years' accumulation resulted in more than an inch of grease, oil and gunk.  Tools: a scraper, a scrub brush, rag, pail of water and Simple Green.  Simple Green is pretty amazing, and it's biodegradable.  

I used it full strength: thoroughly spraying an area and letting it soak in.  Then I scraped it (scooping up chunks and throwing them away).  I scrubbed the area with a scrub brush, then wiped it clean with the rag.  Here are some pics:

A close-up of the gunk:

More gunk:

Before scrubbing:

 After scrubbing:

Before scrubbing:

And, after scrubbing:

Somehow, this was an enjoyable task.  I was hunching down in the engine compartment, kneeling on an aluminum stringer with the edge digging into my knee, and stretching around a hose, reaching under the engine, scraping 40-year-old, disgusting, stinking, greasy filth from the hull.  As I scooped a handful of black sludge to toss it into the garbage bag, a stray piece of hair fell free of my pony tail.  I watched drops of sweat fall from the loose stands of hair onto her hull.  And it felt nice.  In a moment of personification, I wondered if she felt the dedication, determination and magic in those drops of sweat.  I wondered if she felt cleaner, freed from the years of accumulated gunk and closer to the dream of her new reality.  

I felt it.