January 15,2015

Weather has been delightful.  I continued to make progress on the cabin-top hatches this week.  Although there was no sign of any leaks from last week’s moderate rain, I decided to take no chances and sealed the joint around the teak blocks next to the hatches that hold the end of the reaching struts.  All that remains to be done is a couple of more coats of touch-up paint around the hatch bases.  

I also did some more work on the trim in the forward head.  Although still in the early stages, it’s clear that, as always, the trim will make the whole space look much more finished.  It’s an interesting puzzle trying to find suitable pieces of trim from the eclectic collection I’ve gathered over the years.  Lots of “almost,” of course.  Since H & L Woodworking has closed, there’s no easy source, so finding something suitable is even more challenging.

 

 

 

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!