Snap Decision

I've learned the hard way to avoid snap decisions, but today I made an exception (gulp!)

Reggie arrived at the boat at 7.30 AM to discuss the feasibility of re-teaking the companionway step.  It was a "due diligence" exercise on my part and I didn't expect anything to come of it, figuring that I'd go ahead with the plan of simply painting the step.

After one look Reggie said that replacing the teak on only that section was out of the question on aesthetic grounds because the new thick (1/2 inch) teak would make the rest of the cockpit look terrible.  That meant that either the entire cockpit would be re-teaked or none of it.  In my mind I thought "Game Over: re-teaking the entire cockpit will be extravagant, expensive, and besides there is no time."  However, I let the discussion proceed.

I brought up the scale and difficulty of the job, particularly the cockpit sole, with its curved surface and fittings of the drains and binnacle.  He looked at it and said basically "What's the problem?"  He said that he could do the entire job in a week.  I explained the planned hardstanding of the boat at the end of the month and my impending 4-week trip to the USA soon afterwards.  He replied that he can postpone a job for an customer who will not return to La Paz until September and start tomorrow.  (Gulp!)

I asked him about fastening the teak.  He would use glue, with screws along the perimeters.  He assured me that the work would last, with no loosening or curling of the boards.  He also said that I would not have to fill in any of the screw holes as I had done so carefully on the companionway step because the glue material will flood the holes. He stated that there would be no way for water to work its way underneath the layer of boards.

Ok, so what about cost? I asked, figuring that this would put a quick end to the conversation.  He took some measurements, did some calculations, and told me that the cost for materials (i.e. teak, glue, a case of teak caulking) would be $2,000 USD.  Labor?  Well, normally he would charge $2,000 (which must be a formula of 1:1 between materials and labor), but he would do it for ... think, think, think ... $1,200 labor.  He pointed out that the $3,200 expenditure would enhance the value of the boat.   I could also see the benefit of being absolutely sure that no water is leaking from the cockpit floor to below, where I have no access for inspection due to the 4 large batteries stacked at the access point.

Hmm. At this point I was beginning to waver, then he struck the coupe de grace with the suggestion that I look at a cockpit job that he had done 5 years ago, where he had improved the aesthetics of how the wood was laid as well as doing the replacement job.  As an example of an improvement for my cockpit he pointed out that the boards on the cockpit side seats run athwhartship, whereas all boards should run longitudinally for better appearance
.

Reggie's Work on Robert's Cockpit

We walked over to the boat on another jetty and it turned out to be Robert's fine classic 45-footer which is next to my previous slip.  Looking at the work I noticed that Reggie puts plugs over the screws, rather than having their heads exposed as on Pachuca's teak decking.

During the walk back I asked him if the $3200 is a firm price.  He said Yes.  I asked him if I could feel confident enough to start ripping removing teak today.  He replied Yes.  I told him that normally I don't make snap decisions but OK, let's do it.

Looking Pretty Good After 5 Years

Reggie starts tomorrow.  That means that today I start ripping out the teak on the cockpit seats and drill out the screws.  This means that bits of screws will drop into the currently inaccessible area below, but when the boat is hardstanded the aft batteries will have to be removed for the fitting of the Dynaplate RF grounding shoe.  At that time I'll clean up the area, and pump some grease into the pedestal steering post while I have the opportunity.

Unexpected?  Yes.  Extravagant?  Maybe, though $3,200 seems like a very good price to me.  (I think that I am a beneficiary of the extremely subdued business activity during the high summer of La Paz, when the smart folk have cleared out.)  But as a cashed up old fart on the loose in La Paz am I Drinking? ... Gambling? ... Womanizing? ... Taking Drugs?  Nope.  OK, so I pamper my boat a bit, but hey, ya  gotta have at least one vice to add spice to life.