Dinghy chaps refit completed and new straps on cockpit shade 2025

      Debbie is finished with the dinghy chaps. We have a 10.2 Achilles dinghy which is about 12 years old and still in great shape. We store it out of the sun in hurricane season and have the chaps that Debbie originally made on it the rest of the time. This year the chaps got a major refit by Debbie re-stitching lots of areas and replacing and adding chafe.

Helm seat becomes work bench 2025

Here is another use for the helm seat, a work bench. I had to fabricate a couple pieces of teak and needed a spot to work.

Outside teak varnished 2025

    This year and forward we are having Chava varnish our teak on the outside of our boat. It is a once a year job and because we cover the grab rails a lot they are about a three year job.

First coat of satin varnish under nav station. 2025

 

   This is the first coat of satin varnish. The trim where the luvared doors go will be gloss. As you may know the gloss can cover the satin varnishing easily but not the satin, it will not cover gloss. It would come out looking a dull gray. Any way it is looking better than the pictures show.

Preparing under the nav station for varnishing 2025

Today I did some prep under our nav station. We have already done the hard part which was varnish the louvered doors.

Debbie is re-stitching and replacing chafe on our dinghy chaps 2025

Debbie is working on re-stitching our dinghy chaps and replacing some chafe on the chaps. A big job yet it needs to be done. 

First coat of varnish on bed storage area 2025

First coat of satin varnish on the stateroom under bed storage area. This in not the storage are under the matress. That is a separate area.

First and second coat on for stateroom Louvered doors area - 2025

We finished off the satin varnishing in our stateroom behind where our teak luvered privacy shutters go.

Preparing front of storage area under the bed for varnishing - 2025

 

 The storage area under the bed is the last major place on our Islander Freeport 36' sailboat plan B that has not been varnished.

Varnish prep in stateroom for shutters area 2024

    Did a bit of varnish prep in the stateroom today. Washed and sanded with #220 the area with TSP. Tomorrow a coat or two of satin varnish, then gloss will go on the upper trim. Chava took the privacy shutters to put more coats on them. I thought I better get my butt in gear and get this part done before the shutters come back!

Weld shop for thimbles in La Paz 2024

      We had a fun time trying to find Sergio, the welder! There's no signage and the only directions we were given was that his place was on the street behind the Quaker State buildings and that we'd see his shop behind the fence. Well, there were a lot of homes with fences and none that looked like a machine shop! So we asked a resident who happened to be outside his home and sure enough, he knew Sergio so pointed out his place - two doors down.

Stern project is all done, paint color etc 2024

    Our stern project is all done! The stern has now been painted (AWLGRIP paint) and our redesigned name with vinyl lettering has been added. Beto did the paint work with his "guy" making and instaling the lettering. Paint used is AWLGRIP Stark White F8155.

New white SEEKR Sirocco II™ Fan by Caframo ordered 2024

    Ordered another SEEKR Sirocco II™ Fan by Caframo. This one is white to replace the one in the Bora fan head. The fan in the head has been repaired once but now it is making an odor. 

Remote test for stern spotlight 2024

    We finished off our spotlight remote wiring and some other wiring items. One item was a wire I cut by mistake and other wiring clean up and labeling. Tonight Debbie walked to the other side of the fairway in our Marina and tried the remote.

Starlink cable routing and stern paint 2024

            Debbie in her (not so) favorite spot - this time deep in the starboard lazerett. We cut our Starlink cable and are relocating it to where it should be, going through the cam clam.

Spotlight remote and wiring clean up 2024

    Debbie trying to be in the lazerett! We are doing some wiring cleanup and installing a new remote for our spotlight. Our old remote was under the center stern solar panel where it sat for the last 10 years or so before it stopped working.

Stern steps removed and hinge rebuilt 2024

    The pvc pipe that holds the metal pipe is going to be replaced along with the metal pipe.

West Systems will be used to hold it all together and then a two part paint to make it look good.

Sten preping for painting 2024

And so it begins. We are having our stern painted. Beto is doing the painting with Interlux paint.

Repaired outhual sheave in boom 2024

   Debbie and I fixed the sheaves on our outhaul line that goes into the end of the boom. The line had gotten stuck between the sheave and the boom, slipping out of the sheave. It was really jammed in there. 

New SEEKR Sirocco II™ Fan by Caframo, salon 2024

Selecting placement of new fan.

This is one of the three new SEEKR Sirocco II™ Fans by Caframo we are installing. This is replacing the three Bora fans made by the same company. The Bora fans have the on/off and speed switch in the middle and the switch breaks.