Sorry, I couldn't resist a wider image. This is for the poor folks that live down south(and the west coast), that miss spring boat work in New England. You bring a few bags of tools, your lunch, crawl up the ladder on the stern, and lace the tarp back up. It's another world. Sort of fun(for a while...) The tarp, "breaths" in the slightest breeze, and thunders like a war zone above 1o knots. I took this shot during an inhale(tarp out). At the end of an exhale, the tarp can push you off the deck onto the cabin top(you get used to it). No one knows you're 'in here' and occasionally, walkers pause below and chat. It's an odd form of isolation, sort of spiritual, if you will.

I went out after a few hours and was surprised to see it snowing outside(snow is quiet). It was about 10 degrees warmer on deck even though I couldn't see any sun. Cooler down below.

Oh yeah, the tool. It's laying on the wooden hatch curb. It's simply a large sander block with a handle sized for half sheets of paper. But this one has a grate in the hard rubber pad that channels air into a vacuum hose. I've been using these for some time on building projects. You use the mesh sandpaper so all dust gets sucked into the vac. I usually use it with a Fein vacuum but tried it with this little shop vac I use for boat work. With 80 grit mesh sheets, it takes little work to not only remove the rest of varnish residue, but the long flat pad does a great job of flattening the surface(key for a good finish). The mesh sheets are expensive, 4-5 bucks a piece, but last much longer than paper. If you want to come try it out, I'll be in here tomorrow...