Before our little clinker sloop even went over to Faversham for keel bolt renewals her cockpit floor boards were in need of some attention, by the time she sailed into her mooring at the Island Yacht Club they could be ignored no longer … but first I did the cabin floor boards – the easier of the tasks. However, even with those, some filling a fairing was needed.
Whimbrel’s floor boards are the same ones fitted when boat was built in 1983/4. Time has been catching up on the edges: the boards are marine ply. Some softening on the undersides where they sit on the bearers has occurred. They’ve also suffered minor top face damage to upper laminate along the edges. “Nothing that can’t be fixed” I said to my Mate.
The last time they came home for ‘a going over’ the Mate was still a school teacher so she missed all the efforts needed of removal from boat to car … she’s up to speed now!
Once home boards were scraped, sanded and cleaned to reveal areas needing filling or edge dressing with an epoxy and filler ball paste… All of this work was completed during a week of neap tides, 6 and 6s I call them. Okay in the summer, but not at the back end of winter.
Floor boards after bottoms were painted…
After a final sand all were primed/undercoated. Finally, top and bottom were given deck and grey respectively…
The finished boards…
One bit I’ve failed to mention is an accident with my paint pot … it got in the way of a foot. Pot lost the debate and the resulting mess stain can b seen. I’ve still to wire brush the paint away!
A few days later I was out on the water again…
The Island YC boat pound with its forest of spars as viewed from the water.
Around my club’s yard owners are (at last) getting down to the work needed to get their boats back into the water. Time before programmed lift in weekends is getting shorter. The normal complaint is, “It’s been raining” or “It’s been too cold” None of that is, of course, pertinent this year: the weather has been generally kind.
I also popped into the Dauntless yard to pick up a couple of stainless bolts to fit an item of equipment. There in the yard sits the areas latest returning Finesse 24. She’s due to join the little fleet down at my club. The owner was busy on the under side of his boat’s bottom… The Mate was with me and we went aboard for a look – nice chap the owner – seems to be a Finesse trait, on the whole . Something he’s said to me gave me a kick: he blames ‘me’ for his purchase of the boat! Erm… a couple of other owners have said the same thing.
Here sits a class of three thirds … one not started, one ready and the other for sale…
Back down my end of Canvey Island, I’ve spotted work taking place around the ‘buttocks’ of a lovely little gaff cutter, Wendy May owned by a recently retired member of the Yachting Monthly team … “Going in soon”…. the owner told me, adding, “…trying for a mid week launch…” Now, I’d briefed him about slipping in for this … now he has the time. This owner got on with his work ages ago … he’s an ‘old timer’ of sorts being brought up when boats were boats!
Wendy May, a fine gaff cutter, with her owner about to board. She’s a recent arrival at the Island YC, boosting the number of traditional craft here…
Gypsy, a fine Finesse 24, recently came out of the water for antifouling, varnish repairs and a bit of work on a deck edge where his ‘caring’ mooring neighbour clouted the boat…
I’ve ben busy on the inside of Whimbrel too. Time is approaching when it will be safe to start touching up my varnish work … the cabin sides, sheerstrake and transom are to be full coated this season. Lots of sanding for my Mate!