Detours

We've spent much of our last two weeks doing last minute work on the boat that we had not planned for but have nevertheless been well worth the effort even at the cost of delaying the relaunch date.

One of those unexpected projects was the rebuilding of the base upon which the boat's toilet rests, which I mentioned earlier.  Bruce removed the thin 10mm plyboard sheet (which was partially fiberglassed) that the toilet sat on to reveal the top of a completely sealed box.  The top of the box was badly deteriorated with rot and the inside was positively evil with moisture (even though the boat had been on the  hardstand for 6 months) and reeking of mold and rot.

Toilet support only 10mm thick and in bad condition

Section cleaned out for rebuild

Vertical jarrah supports at ends of front, stringer as support at back

This represented another fault in the initial build.  We believe that building grade rather than marine grade ply was used, and to totally seal the section was lunacy.  Simple breathing holes on the vertical face of the box in front of the toilet would have done wonders.

Bruce did an outstanding job of patiently removing the structure without damaging the stringer that runs along the back then began the process of designing and building a new toilet support.  Two sections of 18mm thick marine ply glued together will form the new base, which will sit on two vertical pieces of jarrah at each end of the front and the stringer at the back.  Bruce will cut an oval opening at the front face of the section to allow ventilation and physical examination and cleaning.  Doing carpentry work in a world where nothing is square, plumb, level, and often not even straight is about a challenging as you can get and Bruce as usual is excelling himself.



We finally finished the installation of the new lazarette cover.  Rob the fabricator paid a visit and adjusted the latches with diabolical ease. I am very pleased with the result.  The cover is strong, easy to remove and replace, and very effective. We did get some minor leakage when squirting the perimeter of the cover with a hose but I consider a reduction of at least 95% of the leaking that I've had to put up with a victory and if I really get fussy I'll replace the rubber seal with a thicker one.

New lazarette cover and teak deck needing maintenance

The photo of the new lazarette cover shows the bad state of the cockpit teak work.  (Double left click to enlarge.)  I have always been scrupulous about protecting the teak decking when doing any maintenance work because the teak is not sealed and is vulnerable to staining, somewhat mitigated by the oil content of the teak.  However, in was inevitable that there would be damage from all of the work being done on the boat since June by various people doing all sorts of things.

I asked Bruce if it was time to start thinking about doing something about the teak work and he responded with an emphatic Yes then showed me step by step on how to do the restoration.

Sanding the rear cockpit seat

Selfie with sanding dust protection

Cockpit after sanding (still drying)

Teak now looks as new

Teak decking should be periodically sanded down because the wood wears down over time leaving the caulking between the boards proud.  The teak decking was about 9 years old so this was the perfect time to do the sanding.

I started off by hosing down the teak and while it was still damp applied "Star Brite" teak cleaner, then hosed it off.  When the teak was dry I began sanding with Bruce's random orbital sander using 80-grit paper. 

This is where I got a lesson on the value of quality tools.  Even though I take good care of my tools I've got a half dozen sanders of various types in my garage that didn't last long before failing for one reason or another.  The only reliable sanders I've got are my two Makita belt sanders.  I had grumbled about this to Bruce several times and he told me that he is done with cheap tools and has good sander for which he paid more than $1,000 (gulp!).  When I started using the sander I understood what he was on about.  In one day using that sander and only 3 pads I had the cockpit sanded.  After a bit of hand sanding of the edges of the teak the job was finished with remarkable ease.

The next day Bruce drove me to Industrial Power Tool Services in Canning Vale and I purchased my own German-made "Festool" brand Rotex RO 150 sander.  Festool tools are made to connect to their  extraction system via a simple hose connection.  It's actually a big vacuum cleaner that would give me the capability of sanding and other wood work inside of my garage without getting dust all over the place.  I will probably fork out $700 for the extraction box once my garage is cleared of all of Pachuca's equipment and can set it up  as a workshop again.

Boards ready for sanding, sanders in position

Varnishing in back porch of house

Selfie with mask and gloves

After the sanding I gave the teak another dose of teak cleaner then finished it off with Star Brite teak brightener, applied the same as the teak cleaner.

I then did a bit of internet research to see if there was any treatment available to prevent the teak from going grey and learned that 100% pure tung oil is the best solution.  I expect to pick up a 4-liter can of tung oil in the coming week and will give it a try.

Another detour was the ambitious task of re sanding and re sealing the cabin floor boards.  This was suggested by Bruce and represented another good way to use my time while Bruce did the heaving lifting with the bathroom base, the mast support and base (more on this later), the finishing of the hull below the water line, etc.  The plan is that I am at Bruce's disposal when he needs me but I do as much as I can to pretty the boat up now while it is still on the hardstand because any activity involving sanding or noisy tools is forbidden when Pachuca is back in her pen. 

Bruce suggested that instead of ordinary varnish I use Estapol two-pack polyurethane varnish because it will be much more durable.  As luck would have it, I had 3 Liters of Part A and Part B along with almost a full can of thinner in the garage, left over from when I varnished the floors of my house during its major renovation.  I have learned that 2 pack paints though expensive up front can be cheaper in the long run because they last forever when stored properly, whereas enamel paints and ordinary varnish can go off big time after a few years.  The Estapol material was in perfect condition.

After some thought I formulated my  plan.  Sanding the boards could be done at the boat yard but varnishing inside of the boat would be impractical because all of the other work being done inside, and impossible outside because of the wind, threat of rain, and dirt all over the place. 

So I brought 12 flooring pieces to the house, left the car in the driveway, then washed the boards for drying overnight.  The next day I placed the boards in the car port and next to them set up one of my Makita belt sanders with an 80 grit belt, the other Makita with a 120 grit belt, and my new Festool orbital sander with a 120 grit pad.  I had 5 new 80 grit belts and 5 new 12 grit belts on hand and plenty of 120 grit pads.  The floor sections are of 10 mm thick planks of teak on top of 15mm marine ply, and have proven to be very strong and durable.

The plan worked like a charm.  I sacrificed the 80 grit belts to break through the varnish to the bare wood then switched to the 120 grit belt to remove any remaining pockets of varnish and yield smoother finish, the switched to the orbital sander for final finish.  I had all 12 sections sanded and ready for varnishing after about 3 hours of work.

The varnishing had to be done indoors because of the threat of gusty winds, particularly from the east in the mornings.  The garage is so full of boat equipment that walking through it is difficult enough, which left the house, so with some reluctance I set up the porch area between the back door and the bathroom for the work.

That has worked very well.  After complaining to Bruce that I had noticed a pattern of flu-like lethargy on weeks following painting with 2-part epoxy paints he took me to Gary Martin's "Boat  Paints" where his son Sam sold me a real mask and showed me how to use and maintain it.  The mask has three filters: a thin outer one for dust that is designed to be replaced frequently, a dust filter cartridge, the a fume filter cartridge.  I was amazed at the effectiveness of the mask.  The fumes from 2-pack paints are very strong yet when wearing the mask I get no scent of the chemicals whatsoever.  The mask cost me $130 but it is another demonstration that quality definitely pays.