Sunday Afternoon & a Can of Worms
I think I’ve mentioned my propensity for beginning projects on Sunday afternoons. It’s the whole long, dark teatime of the soul or whatever fever it is that grips me as the weekend winds down to an end and I find myself craving “progress” in some form or another.
Well, I’ve had a fantastic little idea about the upper aft deck and some glass railings to cut the wind so that you can sit up there more comfortably more frequently. It is one of my very favorite spots on the boat and from our dock we have a 360 degree view of the downtown skyline, the Space Needle, Lake Union, etc. Pretty breathtaking & I’d really like to enjoy it as often as possible.
Brock and I have been kicking it around for a few weeks, thinking through the design, etc. And we’ve known for a while that there is probably a little bit of rot around the corner edges on that deck, due to less than ideal drainage systems for the deck. Even Greg told me when we first bought KJ, the whole idea is to get water OFF the boat, quickly and efficiently. But the drains get plugged easily up there and if you don’t attend to it, there will be standing water in the corners.
Any guesses how frequently I checked those spots over the winter when I was pregnant with the twins? Mmm-hmm. Not once. Now you’re with me. So it’s at least partly my own fault.
So Brock took a screwdriver and began poking around, unscrewing a board, looking underneath. Huh. Who knew mold was such a pretty yellow?
And now we’re tearing into the corner with more vigor than we had hoped to need. Brock is really a great wood-boat guy, but even he admitted that when he was overseeing the refit of M/V Kirkland, all he had to do was say “I want that part replaced.” And voila, it would be done. We’re not exactly rolling in money right now with his crazy-litigious ex-wife & her absurd alimony needs (she convinced the court she was entirely too pathetic to work full-time, she isn’t worth more than minimum wage, and they agreed, which is sad, but is also another story). So all work? It’ll have to be done by us.
Meanwhile, I smell hot wood and hear power tools, so I shall go investigate. This is just part of the deal when owning a wood boat, no?
experience
"dtip" should read drip, sorry :o))
Thats for sure Tana! Jamie search capilarity. Boat builders never seem to take this into account and dont believe that water can climb over three feet under its own "steam" any small crack just attracts capilarity and in goes the water. ("sucks"itself in, ie capalarity) also overhanging edges need a dtip chanel between the supporting face and the edge of the, say, roof so that water cannot find its way back to the vertical face and thus into the joint cracks. bedding everything in a quality mastic too,well I don`t need to mention that! if you know all about this then forgive me for commenting but if you don`t then have a read about capilliary attraction! :o))
Well what house is EVER really finished? On-going maintenance of all things is a constant. It just so happens on a boat you are floating in a caustic medium and assaulted on all fronts by the same such chemicals. Never so bad it couldn't be worse.