Week 12, Dec 28-Jan 3

Christmas passed quietly.  Most of the staff had the day off.  We had a lazy breakfast and went to the hotel next door for a swim.  I had hoped to find someplace glitzy for New Years Eve where I could wear my dancing shoes and a sparkly gown but in the end, that was a very quiet day too.   I had done some research on the internet but it all seemed too expensive or too much trouble.  And so our days are filled with boat work.  I am planing a trip home in February, to coincide with the Woman’s Sailing Convention in Newport Beach I would also like to go to Texas to visit my brother and his kids while I am home, so I am spending hours trying to find a cheap ticket and get all the dates coordinated. Alan is working on the engine and planing a box for the cockpit to get the switches and gages out of the water.  There are numerous trips to town for groceries and supplies.  it is hot and getting hotter and each little thing seems to take forever.  Abut 5:00 people gather at the bar to have a beer and relax and talk about what is next

My project is once again varnish.  After spending most of last summer in Mexico sanding and scraping and putting 4, 5, 6, 7 coats of varnish on the woodwork, we have decided to take it all off and just oil the wood.  As usual, Alan did a lot of research into the issues and has decided on something called Uncle Billy’s oil.  We ordered a dozen cans of it while we were in Mexico and have it packed away in the paint locker.  Alan used it on the teak steps of the rat line and it seems to be doing well so we have decided to use it on the rest of the boat, even though it is mahogany not teak.   Varnish looks beautiful when it first goes on but when you are sailing in the tropics it very quickly begins to fade and chip.  After six months at sea it is looking pretty bad.  Of course we could just paint the wood and be done with it but Rhapsody is such a classic boat that it just seems to need the wood trim. 

Most of the old varnish just peals of in great long cheers, sort of like your skin after a good sunburn.  But there are always those places, usually in an inaccessible corner, that just won’e come off.  I use scrappers, sandpaper, ice picks letter openers and whatever else I can find.  My favorite tools are a $10 set of cheese knives that I got at Cost Plus.  The wooden handles fit my hand nicely and they are very sharp.  When I finally have it all scraped down to the bare wood,  Alan gives it a polish with the electric sander and it is ready to be oiled.  It goes on quickly with a soft rag and looks lovely with a soft glow that brings out the grain of the wood.  Best of all, no nasty smell of turpentine and no brushes to clean.  We really don’t even need to wash our hands since it is actually good for your skin.

Of course the test will be how it looks after another 6 months of cruising.  Will it really protect the wood? Will it still look nice or will we be thinking about sanding it off and going back to the varnish?  Only time will tell