Stain and Varnish of Companionway

I wanted a color that tended more to the red than the yellow to go with the other floors and did I get red! The stain turned out a bit blotchy and muddy looking. There are areas where another coat would make it look more even, but I don't want to make it any darker. I think I'll let it dry an hour or so and then hit it with a coat of varnish. Maybe I should have used a sanding sealer. I wonder how you ask for that is Spanish?

Hmmm...

While the stain dries, check out my second attempt at cutting my own hair. Instead of just hitting the longest spots, I did the whole deal today. I had to hunch down a bit to get in the picture. There's not a lot of room left in the cockpit for a tripod with all the woodworking.

Wed. Dec 30

Today's progress

I got the mounting for the security system painted and mounted so that the alarm points out a hole in the helm that was previously used for an old style 12V outlet that we never used. The two holes to the right of the PCB are for switches. I had hoped to get it all wired today, but manana is another day...


Then I measured and cut the boards for the companionway floor. A few of the cuts are a little wavy. I was on the bow of the boat with it gusting into the low 20's and lots of Colombian holiday traffic. It's been a bit lumpy. I hope to trim them up when Robert's carpenter brings the table saw back.

The wood is not really a finish grade wood, the outer veneer is so thin you can see through it in places. With some stain and varnish and a rug over it, I think it'll look fine. It is the kind of wood that is perfect for a substrate if we want to have some pretty wood laminated over the top later.

The dude who paddles out on the old surf board selling vegetables is named Wilson. I ordered some tomatoes from him and he brought out a couple today. His prices are a bit high, but not when you figure he paddles out from Baru on his board every day. I plan to use them in a jambalaya, but maybe not tonight, I'm a bit pooped.

A new workbench

After working on this boat for four years, I finally made a workbench. Those with large garages and detached shops may scoff, but I can finally drill, saw and sand without totally trashing the boat. And my view is nicer.

I'll soon be working on some repairs to our flooring and will use a piece of leftover 7mm plywood to replace the somewhat cheesy 1/4 inch work surface seen here.

I've got another month in Colombia before Pam gets back. I couldn't stand my hair anymore, so I cut it myself. Not too bad in the front, but you can see where I couldn't (or didn't) reach in the back. This is probably the closest to a mullet you'll ever see on this boy.

Pami asked me for a layout drawing of our boat a month ago, so here it is. She's always trying to explain where things are on the boat. I'm sitting where it says NAV. The SALOON is completely covered in tools and parts. The new floors go in A) in the little walkway between SALOON and COCKPIT and in front of the stove in the GALLEY.


Ciao for now
Richard