The First Sunburn Of The Season!

SHIP'S LOG:

Yes, that sounds a bit strange but it happened. Thursday I took a day off from the loft and went to work on ABISHAG. Friend Fred was supposed to show up but was unable to make it. Too bad as he missed a beautiful day in the sunshine.

I spent 4 hours or so de-caulking the teak deck. in between the strips of teak on deck resides a rubberized caulking material. On those decks that are really teak deck the caulking provided a seal against leaks getting below and wetting everything down.  On a "modern" boat, the teak deck is usually just a veneer that is laid over the fiberglass deck, the real deck. It makes the boat look "so nautical." The problem is that the teak deck is affixed to the fiberglass deck with screws which make holes in the fiberglass deck. Over time, with the flexing of the deck, some of the holes widen and loose their seal and water leaks into those holes and into the boat. To prevent that, or at least in attempt to prevent it, the spacing between the strips of teak are filled with caulk, ideally sealing the space between the strips prevent the water from getting underneath and find whatever holes may be there. This caulking can, over the years, dry out and crack and literally pop out of the spacing and providing a major access route for water. So it has to be renewed every now and then.

"Now and then" has arrived. About 8 years ago, I re-calked the deck . It was a real pain. You have to use a small hook-tool, a gouge and a utility knife to get out all the old caulk. Strangely, some comes out amazingly easily, some refuses to leave despite serious effort. But out it must come as the new caulk will not stick and seal if there is old caulk present. And out it came on Thursday. I will have to wash out each groove with clean and then with acetone or the equivalent and then fill them in the appropriate caulk. It would be  a one day job if I had one full day but with only partial days, it will probably take about four.

I wanted to get up to ABISHAG today but can't swing it. But Friend Fred is there and since he is doing electrical stuff ( electricity is all voodoo to me), I won't be in his way. If I can swing it, I'll be up tomorrow.  Trying to find free rime to travel 42 miles to wok on ABISHAG while working is not the most fun I have, but hopefully it will allow me and Friend Fred to get the work needed to lunch get done. Ah! the fun of boat ownership!