It's been quiet on here for a long time. A very long time. This does not mean nothing's been happening. Just that I've been too depressed to write about it. To say that things have not been going well is an understatement.
We ran into trouble as soon as we started stripping the old teak deck.
First of all, what we found underneath the teak was not at all what I expected. I had been lead to believe that we had was teak on top of a balsa core deck. What we found was teak on top of ply on top of GRP. We started digging where I knew there were 'leaks'. Underneath the ply had turned into compost.
Further investigation led us to believe that in places the ply was still good.
Initially we worked out that about 80% of the ply was still good, other bits could be replaced easily. Then all the teak was stripped and the boat left for some time to dry. Even then the moisture readings remained alarmingly high. Where the ply looked fine on the surface it had started to rot from underneath. All of the ply had to come off.
This left an 8mm GRP deck. A Bavaria kind of deck - you felt a certain spring in your step. It became obvious very quickly that to restore rigidity and maintain structural integrity something needed to be done. Various alternatives were investigated, but after much palaver and calculations a decision was arrived at. Balsa wood would be laminated in and then the cork fitted on top of that. Deck thickness would remain the same as before, and the boat would be about 350kg lighter overall.
The necessary balsa and resin was ordered and we're finally in a position to say that at least progress is being made.
I've have given up all hope of sticking to whatever budget I had in mind. I just live from day to day now, and I hope I'll be able to pay the next bill when it comes. We're not down to Red Cross food parcels quite yet, but that point may not be far off.
So, where are we now? All teak has been removed and so has most of the ply. Amidships there's still some ply in place to keep the hull and deck stiff. It will be removed once the balsa is ready to be laminated in. A tent has been constructed to cover the aft end of the boat. To apply the resin we need a temperature of at least 15°C. Gas heater on deck, electric heaters below decks to heat the GRP from underneath.
The cockpit and coachroof have been stripped completely. They will be resprayed and once that's done the cork's ready to go on there.
Where do we go from here? The plan is to have the new balsa core laminated in by the end of January. Not a lot will happen in February as our shipwright's away on some R&R. The next step is to fit the cork in March & April with the aim to relaunch mid May.
It's only a plan, and we've had plans before, but this one I plan to stick to.
Lots of 'what if's and 'if only I had known's lately. Suffice it to say that I'm not going through this again - ever! I'm only going through with it because we're too far gone to turn back. And Guapa's just the boat for us. I'm convinced that when we're done she'll be better than she ever was. She has to be.
I had seriously underestimated the work involved. To be honest, most of it couldn't have been foreseen when we started, but still. I had not envisaged laying a new deck would involve ripping out pretty much the entire inside of the boat.
At times, I'm close to tears. New headlining for the saloon is on order. Again an added expense; but if I'm not going to do it now, I'll never do it.
Plans to re-engine have been shelved. I know of an ideal engine I could have at a knock-down price, but financial realities dictate otherwise. Unless they're willing to give the engine away there's no way I can afford it.
And then there's the standing rigging that needs replacing - a cost we cannot postpone. I'm in no hurry to lose the mast.
There we are - things can only get better. I've been promised that the next time I'm over to inspect the boat I won't recognise her. Here's hoping this is true. I could do with some good news right now.