Archive | July 19, 2008

Bit o’ Brightwork


Been working on my varnish skills and decided to go after the satin finish on the flying bridge wheel. It’s shiny now and quite pretty. I took the windshield out as well and gave the wood another coat of varnish. It’s all covered through the winter, so everything stays in fairly good condition.

I’ve been learning quite a bit about what works and what doesn’t with varnish (as with all lessons, I seem to have to learn them the hard way). It’s about time for me to read Rebecca again to see what I glean from her books now that I have a little more experience under my belt.

I swear, this boat will cure me of my “lazy” trait. I’ve always held that “lazy” and “efficient” are opposite sides of the same coin, but it’s arguable that I occasionally tend toward the negative end of that spectrum when it comes to projects. This boat is the first endeavor I’ve had in which “good enough” really isn’t. Perhaps my perception of what constitutes “good enough” has changed and the bar is set a bit higher. And so I’m learn to curb my impatience and desire for instant gratification. To actually spend time on surface prep.

And it does pay off. She’s looking better and better all the time. Many projects to share with you over the next few weeks. This is how summers are spent onboard…