It’s stopped raining! Time to get busy.
Finally, on July, oh, 19th or so of this year the rain finally let up in Seattle. Actually, the truth is that most of this past winter was very dry. We were supposed to have a drought year this year. Of course, as soon as it warmed up the rains finally came and didn’t let up until about a week ago.
Right. So it’s time to get to work on Rivendell.
First, some people wonder how the heck we can afford a Tayana 42, one of the best bluewater boats out there. The fact is, our poor boat is trashed. Sure, overall she’s pretty sound, but her bottom’s got blisters (can’t believe we signed up for that again), her sails and lines were ratty (check), her canvas is shot (on the list) and her teak decks haven’t seen a good day for about 10 years.
Truth be told, her worn out, old, bungless, leaky teak decks are probably the reason she sat for sale for over a year on Lake Union. Then we suckers came along and got a very good deal.
For most of her life, past owners or caregivers have scrubbed and sanded these decks with no mercy. The decks were 1/2 inch thick out of the factory. Now, 25 years later they are down to no more than 1/4 inch thick, with only the mound of teak still left under the mounted hardware hinting at their former beefiness.
The caulking all over the deck is dried and cracked and in many places there is not even a groove left to lay new caulk. At least 5 bungs disappear every week and at least a handful of boards are loose and lifting from the fiberglass underneath.
Some have tried to convice us that we can easily save these decks — just reseal them and make up some 0.0625 inch think bungs to replace those that have gone. Ha. They’ve got to be nuts. These decks are coming up, and they are off to the dumpster this summer.
When we are out cruising, we have no desire to be replacing bungs and recaulking seams. There are way too many other chores to be taken care of without this backbreaking work. Teak decks are really beautiful and they truly are the best nonskid, but this Tayana is going to be bare decked again, with nothing on her topsides but beautiful expanses of cool white paint.
I’m in the same boat with our Hans Christian 38. Having teak decks stresses me out and I hope one day we’ll have nothing but good waterproof non-skid!
Look forward to hearing about and learning from your experiences in removing the decks and replacing with non-skid!
-Todd
Comment by Todd Huss — 1 August 2005 @ 15:12
Hy Guys, Nice site. I have a contract on a 1987 Tayana42-aft cockpit- no teak deck. Doing a survey next Friday. Could you Give me a list of things for the surveyor to be sure to check. Good luck on your projects and thank you for your time. Bill Schnurr
Here is the boat-
http://yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_boat_full_detail.jsp?slim=quick&boat_id=1285044&ybw=&units=Feet¤cy=USD&access=Public&listing_id=12184&url=
Comment by Bill Schnurr — 4 September 2005 @ 15:09
“The fact is, our poor boatis trashed”
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, weren’t you introduced to this boat by a good friend broker and had it surveyed by a lovely and brilliant surveyor?
Was there a conspiracy here?
Did you not take a good look at the boat yourself?
swfh
Comment by shipwrightfromhell — 21 October 2005 @ 17:58
Don’t take that statement *too* literally, shipwright. By “trashed” I just mean Rivendell has been well worn in and much of her gear needs a little updating (i.e. running rigging, standing rigging, sails). I mean, she is 25 years old and has been sailed 40K miles give or take around the globe. But this is what we live to do and we knew just what we were in for when we purchased her two years ago.
Frankly, we’ve not run into any surprises at all while upgrading and maintaining her that we weren’t aware of when she was surveyed. Well, not true. We thought we’d run into a lot of core rot while removing the teak decks but we found not one speck of rot to speak of. Her deck core is dry as a bone. We like those kinds of surprises.
Rivendell is getting sprayed with Awlgrip this coming week and her mast will be restepped with all new standing rigging attached to shiny new chainplates. After we finish installing the Treadmaster on her de-teaked decks she’s going to look brand new. She deserves it.
Fair winds!
-sj
Comment by sara — 22 October 2005 @ 22:03
“Her deck core is dry as a bone”
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm……..in a 25 year old boat that’s got 40k miles on her?
There’s an old saying that goes something like “Show me a person who says their boat doesn’t leak and I’ll show you a liar” Sounds like something Mark Twain could have coined.
Anyway, your boat does leak somewhere, and where there is water, there is rot, which begats the question: who made the assessment that the core is bone dry?
Someday a cleat or winch will pop out of the deck and the only thing you will find that is dry is the rot.
I do admire your courage, enthusiam and energy, for most people would consider sails, standing and running rigging, chain plates as more than ” a little updating,” I consider that changing out the entire frigging rig.
You should have a winner when you’re done. Wish I had the moolah to do a little updating on my rig.
swfh
Comment by shipwrightfromhell — 28 October 2005 @ 19:10
SWFH – our previous boat was a 40 year old Pearson. We know what rot looks like.
Comment by sara — 30 October 2005 @ 11:41
As the current owners of your 40 year old Pearson, we sure hope you got it all 😉
Comment by Ross — 13 December 2005 @ 19:05