Rain, Rain, Go Away.

I was born and raised in Stockton but I don’t remember any winter like this one.  The rain just never seemed to stop.  It rained substantially in the valley and snowed in the Sierra on June 4^th!  The work we have been trying to do requires reliable dry weather.  Teak finish takes 9 coats 24 hours apart with no rain.  It has been frustrating but slow progress is being made.

I tried the Tom Sawyer trick of telling people that sanding was "fun" and that I would allow them to try it... no takers.

It takes a bit of effort to strip off old pealing and blistered finish.  Then it has to be cleaned, sanded and refinished.  There is a lot of woodwork on our boat.  That is part of what makes it special.  The effort spent refinishing is paid off in a beautiful boat that draws many complements.  Worth the effort.

Before and After

The deck, bowsprit, and toe rail remain to be finished.  Before that can be done the new electric anchor windlass needs to be installed and I have some finishing woodwork at the bow to do.  Fitting the windlass in a very limited space was a trick.

Fitting the new windlass in the limited space at bow.

The good news is that we don’t have any particular schedule to keep so I can work until it is finished.  Once the wood is all gleaming there are several electrical and mechanical projects to complete.  It’s like a house, projects are never all completed but you can get to a point where they are less pressing.  Hope to find that place soon!