One thing that has bugged me is the thin yellow line. There is a groove around the boat that once was filled with a yellow stripe of tape stuff. More later.

Spot the thin yellow line. This is not my boat by the way.

Yesterday, I spent the day trying to spot an Oriental Stork, hyper rare bird that had been seen on Kouri Jima. I did not find it.

Where are you?

However the day was well spent, as I had a reminder of how beautiful Okinawa is.

View from Kouri Jima. No stork.

It is Lily time in Okinawa

Back to business – the thin yellow line has proved to be very difficult to remove. It has disappeared from all but the starboard bow quarter. The lack of symmetry offends me.

Because it is recessed into a groove, it is very difficult to get at and has resisted all my attempts to destroy it.

On the advice of a passing New Zealander, Nick, of whom surely more later, I get a heat gun. Actually I borrow a heat gun from Guido.

See how inappropriate the yellow line looks. See how clean and sanded the top of the boat looks.

The heat gun is fantastic. It softens the yellow stuff, which I then peel off with a Generation D tin whistle.

Hot stuff

More or less the same diameter as the groove.

This is the tool. I cannot play it worth a damn so she can gain satisfaction by being an amazing paint scraper.

Looking good

There is a Paint Sensei at the boatyard. I approach him with great deference and explain somehow that I would like my white paint turned to cream.  Can he change my white paint to cream? Of course  he says,” Hai, Dai ju boo desu,”

Things are getting serious. I will have to paint my boat!