Navigation / office project

Currently Mark is working on the cabinet doors for the starboard side of the main salon. They are progressing much faster than the port ones (no learning-curve and MUCH less complex) and should be ready to varnish in a few days. Once this happens it is on the 'Nav Station'.

Here we see a mock-up of new electric panels (left) and multiple other nav station needs. The computer screen will be mounted on the wall to the right where you can see a little foam-board shelf currently sticking out....to 'mock' how proud of the wall it will be.

Shed-out settee

When we first got the boat Mark ripped out the part of the settee that was against the forward bulkhead due to dry rot. Since I still wanted to be able to use that side of the table for seating he built another (smaller) seat.

I have shown it in various stages of completion but here it is done and varnished. Check that off both of our lists!!!

Settee fiddle...

First, for the non-sailors who may be seeing this a 'fiddle' is trim that is proud of a surface - the expected out come is that when the boat heels (tips) items are prevented from falling off. What really happens is that the fiddle is just a bump in the road and launches the item into a 2 1/2 gainer on the way to the floor. In this case on a settee the fiddle holds the settee cushions. Now for the varnish (sigh!).

Sanding the floor boards

Then (just for fun) after each coat of varnish all must be lugged down the steps and out to the garage. I have learned to use an electric sander without sanding through to the prior coats of varnish and epoxy - no small feat for me I might add. Thank goodness winter is almost over in Texas as it takes almost as much time to don my cold weather togs as to do the sanding....believe it or not part of my get-up included my wet suit skin!

How to apply varnish

Once the two-part varnish is mixed, poured into a clean container and mixed again it is left to sit until the floors are prepped. This includes wiping down the surface with another smelly solvent, drying them with a clean rag then using a tack cloth to make sure no lint is left behind. At this point the varnish can be applied and left to dry overnight. In this photo you can tell that the shower cap is actually hiding electric rollers (perhaps I should kill my spouse for this pic) as I was multitasking as usual. I have set up two sets of saw horses with 2 by 4's screwed to the tops for a varnish platform. At this point I am 90% done with the floor varnish project (Whew!)

How to varnish a cabin sole (i.e. floor)

Since the last posting was about the new floors (cabin sole in Popeye's terminology) I thought I would show how the varnish is accomplished. Here I am in the upstairs bathroom (aka varnish booth). Notice that I am wearing gloves, shower cap, varnish shirt and a respirator. The two-part poly-urethane varnish is pretty smelly and could cause permanent damage so the respirator is mandatory. I am mixing the varnish in a plastic container to avoid toxic spills on the countertop and/or floors....after all once the varnish booth is no longer needed we still need to sell the house!