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Re-launch: We
were happy to be back in the water again after six weeks "on the
hard" at St. Augustine Marine. |
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Re-launch: Tibetan
prayer flags were hoisted up the mast on Sunday, April 23, 2006 to
celebrate Gyatso's re-launch after six weeks of tackling brightwork,
bottom paint and several other projects. |
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New Canvas: Justin
and Kathy of Cooper's Canvas install the new cover for the sail and the
butterfly hatch. We chose one of Sunbrella's newest colors, brass,
accented with burgundy to compliment the detail paint colors we selected
for the hull. |
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New Canvas: The
bimini and dodger frames are free-standing and constructed of 1"
stainless steel. The two parts zip together as shown at right, or the
bimini can be unzipped from the dodger and folded back into its own cover,
a configuration we prefer while under sail. |
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Old |
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Detail
paint: After the paint dried, Lisa refinished the teak with a golden oil
treatment -- the only option available given the deteriorated condition of
all four panels. |
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Detail
paint: Lisa used a metallic brass paint to refinish the scrolls on the
four teak panels. The same paint was used to paint the pin stripe
which used to be blue. The boot strip, near the water line is
burgundy. |
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More anchor
problems: After taking the 35# CQR anchor off its roller and
inspecting it closely, we discovered how worn-out it was. We
immediately ordered a new one from the manufacturer. We also added
100' of chain and 250' of 3/4 inch rode to our anchoring system. |
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Dinghy in
progress: Lisa tried several cleaning products on the RIB dinghy
without much success. After consulting with Inflatable Experts in
Annapolis, she was able to remove the black stains and gray grime using
Acetone as can be seen on the port side. The wooden bench seat was painted with a white marine epoxy,
and the old, leaky gaskets around the air fill valves where replaced with
new ones. The dinghy finally holds air for more than two days! |
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Barrier coat
and bottom paint: David then applied a two-part barrier
coat in the problem area before painting the rest of the bottom with two
coats of Trinidad red. |
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Barrier coat
and bottom paint: David spent several days sanding down to bare
fiberglass an area of bottom paint which had failed. The random
orbital sander was connected to a dust muffle and a shop vac to reduce
airborne toxic particulates in keeping with the yard's "Clean
Marina" policies. |
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Brightwork: Butterfly
hatch after. We had planned to leave this job for another day, but
decided to tackle it in the end. Lisa spent days removing the old
finish and prepping for the new finish. |
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Brightwork: Cabin
top trim after. |
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Brightwork
in progress: David used a heat gun and scraper together to remove the
old varnish and cetol. He then used a finishing sander and hand
sanding to remove the old finishes and prepare the teak for its new
treatment. We applied 2-3 coats of Cetol Light followed by 2-3 coats
of Cetol Gloss in hopes that future upkeep will be easier. |
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Brightwork: Wheel
(after). |
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Brightwork: Wheel
(before). |
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Brightwork: Bowsprit
(after). |
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Brightwork: Bowsprit
(before). |
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Brightwork: Cockpit
combing (before). We decided to remove the brass cleats on each side,
since they were not needed and prevented the crew from sitting it a prime
spot. |
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Passing
thunderstorms: These thunderstorms passed us by for the most part and
went offshore, but we did have one strong thunderstorm during our
haul-out. We were happy that our mast was not the tallest in the
yard when one bolt of lightning hit close by! |
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On the hard:
After climbing up and down
ladders and handling all kinds of tools while refitting the boat, we were
lucky to have only one small mishap. On the day before launching,
Lisa cut herself and rushed to the medical center for two stitches in her
left hand. |
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We picked a really nice port for a stop-over.
St. Augustine is a beautiful and historic setting to spend time. |
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Lisa's sister Suze and brother-in-law Jon came over from Anna Maria Island
for a visit. |
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Suze eyed this old place as a great "fixer upper" in the
historic city. |
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Lisa and sister Suze at the dock in St. Augustine. Since Suze &
Jon live year-round on Beaver Island in northern
Lake Michigan, it is not often that they can drive four hours to see us. We had a great day of sightseeing in St. Augustine. |
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It was not all work and no play during our stay in St. Augustine.
One day, David turned out to be color-coordinated with one of the historic
buildings. |
