Mark Perry, the bearded owner and manager of the boat yard I was calling home, sauntered over to the table that was brimming over with Good Omens' portlights. He immediately saw my dilemma. I was a moron. Everyone knows you can't effectively go after marine caulking materials with something as paultry as a pocket knife. What I needed, according to Mark, was a good quality American drill and a few wire brush bits. Of course, he didn't actually mention the fact that I was a moron; he looked as though the thought never crossed his mind as he kindly offered the use of his Milwaukee right angle drill and an assortment of wire bristle brush bits.

I had spent a total of about four hours at the yard, and three hours in my motel bathroom attempting to cut away the marine caulking on each of the fourteen portlights. I hadn't managed to get any of them remotely clean enough for reinstallation into Good Omens. In fact, in all that time, I'd only attacked the caulk on three of the bronze buggers. Let me tell you that, although I've never been to Milwaukee, it must be a city of fine craftsmen. That little drill and its quartet of bristle brush bits brought me salvation.

In two days every portlight glistened and sparkled. There wasn't a trace of BoatLife marine caulk and sealant on anything within a five yard radius of my workbench. Except for my shoes. Apparently it's a law in the marine industry that all the nasty stuff that comes off while you're cleaing portlights must immediately find a new home on the bottom of your best pair of Tevas.

I'm still cleaning the gunk out of all the little crevices and dimples on the soles of my shoes. Unfortunately I don't have a Milwaukee right angle drill at home; but I've got my trusty knife. Deja vu.