January 8, 2015

Seriously back to work this week.  Focused on refurbishing and resealing the teak cabin-top hatches (again!).  Hopefully they’ll be leak-free once and for all.  I painstakingly removed all the old caulk right down to bare glass and teak.  After wiping down with acetone, two coats of GluvIt, a flexible epoxy, were applied, covering all joints.  That was followed by sanding and caulking with Sikaflex 1a.  Still to be done:  a bit of sanding, a couple of coats of Cetol to protect the epoxy from UV, and some touch up painting.  While I was at it, I also caulked the joint on the aft piece of teak trim on the doghouse, which had not been done since it was sanded away when everything was repainted, resulting in a bit of a drip in the cockpit.

While waiting for coatings to cure, I started making the trim for the forward head.  So far I’ve only got the first piece roughed out, but I can already tell it’s going to make a big difference.

I know it’s only early January, but the coreopsis gigantea are already in bloom as are a few other wildflowers.  We did have some rain not long ago, and it’s been in the low seventies this week, so maybe that’s why they’re confused.  More winter-like is the crystal clear air that brings the islands closer.  The sunsets are getting better too!