Teak Repair

I ended up fixing all the teak today. I had several pieces, mainly blocks used to keep hardware off the deck, that had some sort of damage, mostly splits, that needed to be glued back together before I could remount them. I spent the morning getting them ready and had them all done by about 1500.

At that point, I took a break and walked Zoe up to the office to talk to Gill for a little while. By the time I got back, it was overcast and had started to turn cold again, so I decided not to try to do any caulking. Instead, I put a coat of paint on the cockpit locker dividers. They are made of compressed cardboard and have started to deteriorate, especially along the edges.

I'm planning on replacing them, but am out of time, so that will have to wait until I get to Houston. I don't think the paint will really protect them much, but if it will keep them from falling apart and filling the bilge with garbage, that's all I need for right now. I hope I don't have to touch them again, except for putting them back in the boat, but will take another look tomorrow before I decide. If they look good, I'll put them back in right away.

Cover watch:

I'm going to take the cover off tomorrow afternoon as soon as it warms up and dries out. With any luck, I'll also get the portholes and chainplate covers mounted, which will mean the entire cabin should be dry. We shouldn't get any rain for a few days, but might get some dew, so I want to make sure I don't get anything wet. It'll take a few more days to get everything in the cockpit mounted.

Deck watch:

The deck is done except for the non-skid areas and a final non-glossy coat over everything. I got some sand for the non-skid today while I was walking Zoe. Someone had dumped a bunch beside the road to fill in some ruts from a municipal vehicle during one of the recent rains. They'd overfilled the holes, so there was big pile, and I scooped up a few handfuls off the top. It looks pretty clean, but I'll wash and strain it before using it. It won't take much to do the deck, so I hope this is enough.

Zoe watch:

Zoe was hanging out on the foredeck today while I was fixing the teak in the cockpit, but when I went into the cabin to get something to eat, she heard the paper rattle and came aft to the companionway to check it out. Here's a photo of her just before I gave her some of my baguette: