18 April 2011 | Alexandria, VA
11 May 2010
31 July 2009
26 April 2009
24 January 2009 | Cadle Creek
27 December 2008 | Chesapeake Bay
09 November 2008
13 October 2008
30 September 2008
13 July 2008 | Warehouse Creek
30 May 2008 | St. Mary's River
26 May 2008 | Rhode River & Chesapeake Bay
24 May 2008 | Chesapeake Bay
04 May 2008 | Chesapeake Bay
29 April 2008

Project: Refinishing Teak 2008

16 April 2008
Well, spring is finally here but I haven't made it out sailing since my last post in early February. I have spent the past two to three weeks refinishing my teak. This time I decided to try the Cetol Natural Teak finish. The WoodPro that I used a couple years ago was similar to Cetol, but this new "Natural Teak" is supposed to have the lightest tint and provide the closest to natural look you can get with a low maintenance type finish. I should have recoated my teak early last year, but I was too busy with my other projects and then just wanted to enjoy my sailing, so I put it off. I think it was too weathered to simply recoat, so I decided to completely refinish it all and do an even better job this time. Here are some photos of my progress.

This is the condition it was in after a little over two years of weathering:
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Close up of a bad crack that I will repair. The previous owner nailed the two pieces together with a small piece of wood on the back.
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My first step to refinishing was to use a finish remover to strip off all the old WoodPro. I was surprised at how well this stuff works. I just brushed a layer on, let it sit for about 15 minutes, then used a stiff brush with a scraper and it came right off. I had to repeat about three times to remove most of it, but it was easier and cleaner than sanding off the old finish. I then sanded everything first with 150 grit and then 220 grit sandpaper.

Next I wanted to repair some cracks that were on the ends of several pieces. Two years ago, I just put lot of WoodPro in the cracks, but that didn't help. Through the winters, I'm sure water was seeping in the cracks and freezing, causing the cracks to expand slightly. They were not too bad, but this time I wanted to do it properly. I used epoxy, mixed it with some teak dust, and used it like a putty to fill the gaps.
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I then sanded down the epoxy the following day. It would be very difficult, probably impossible to get an exact color match, but most importantly it filled the gaps.
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I read that to clean teak, you can use TSP cleaner which can be found in a hardware store, mixed with a little water in a spray bottle. I took all my teak to the shower/tub, sprayed the TSP mixture and scrubbed with a soft nylon brush. It removed a lot of dust and dirt. I then followed that up with some teak brightener that the previous owner left on the boat. I read that a cheap household replacement is oxalic acid which can be bought as ZUD sink cleaner. My teak was not really any brighter after using the "brightener", but I used it anyways. I lightly sanded with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it all out again and wiped it down with a rag dampened with thinner. I then let the teak dry for three days before starting to apply the finish.

Here is all the bare teak ready for the first coat of Cetol:
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This is now after three coats of Cetol Natural Teak applied:
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I am now in the process of putting on two coats of Cetol Clear Gloss. I will post those photos in the next couple days.

Working on the boat over the weekend I worked on a few projects. I bought a new tiller from Defender. The Catalina 25 replacement is made by H&L Marine Woodwork, model 112F.
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I am in the process of installing a CD player stereo. I decided to mount it on the bulkhead above the galley. There is easy access for wiring, I will be able to plug in my MP3 player and have access from the cockpit, and will have line of sight for the IR remote in the cabin. So far I ran the marine grade wire for the speakers through the bilge and cut the hole in the bulkhead.
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I was also determined to fix one of my rigging turnbuckles. One has been seized ever since I bought the boat. Therefore, I have not been able to properly tune my rig completely. So, I removed the troubled turnbuckle, placed the t-bolt in a vice, gripped the turnbuckle with some vice grips, and used a lot of strength to get it to budge. I used a little bit of lubricant to soak into the threads, but that didn't help. It slowly began turning with an awful sound and then suddenly it just snapped! I sheared the t-bolt completely. It was completely seized in there. So, now I need to buy a replacement.
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Other projects I have coming up... I bought a tiller cover for my new tiller, but it does not fit with my tiller tamer installed. I am going sew on a piece of canvas to expand the size. I plan to make some hand rail covers from some canvas as well. I need to reseal my windows and clean and lubricate my winches. In the next month or two I plan to purchase and install a 40 watt solar panel.

This coming weekend if all goes planned on Daren's end, I will be helping him relocate his C-25 to my creek. He is currently down in Harrington Harbor and now he will be joining Dave and me in our waters.
Comments
Vessel Name: Sapphire Breeze
Vessel Make/Model: 1982 Catalina 25 SK/SR
Hailing Port: Mayo, MD
Crew: Justin
Extra: This site is all about my experiences with my first boat; from restoring it, to my sailing adventures. I enjoy hearing from my readers, so feel free to send me an email. I'm also interested in meeting new people in the area, especially people in my age range since I hardly know any that sail.

Who: Justin
Port: Mayo, MD