Real Journeys staff and contractors have sanded the hull of "Lady of the Lake" by hand, while it sits out of water on the Kelvin Heights slipway.
Primer is being applied in preparation for 600 litres of paint to be applied to the hull in two top coats. The survey was extended by two weeks in early June when the extent of the corrosion on steel deck plating was uncovered by the removal of deck timber.
Gough Bros site manager Daniel Poole, of Invercargill, said yesterday about 80% of the steel plates were now replaced.
Shipwrights continued to lay 800 lineal metres of kwila decking timber.
The crankshaft for the starboard engine was due back from maintenance by Gough Bros on Monday.
Varnishing and painting began inside the saloons while all instruments, such as pressure gauges, were to be sent to Christchurch specialists for calibration and recertification.
The Earnslaw is scheduled to slip back into Lake Wakatipu on July 6 for towing to Steamer Wharf.
Finishing jobs and cleaning up would occur before the timing of the main engines, "sea trials" and the ship re-entering service.
