Shifting Gears

So... we're done.  No more horizons to reach.

Once you realize that you are close to the end of the season, your thinking changes completely.  We aren't planning further adventures... just thinking about the shutdown stuff that has to happen.  Also, thinking about all the cool things at home.  Grandkids, kids, friends and home.  Eager to get going.

That lamp bracket is dying to rip the snot out of Murphy the Dinghy

Chinaman at work

Precision welding... notice the Cetol on the cockpit coaming?  Kind of dull.

Past the Pitons with no wind

We had a good trip down from St. Lucia to Bequia.  A bit of "washing machine" effect in the St. Lucia passage but nothing that the intrepid crew couldn't handle.

Left at 6 am and got into Bequia around 5 pm and cleared in the next morning.  Sixty nine miles makes for a long day.

Bad news!!!  We have recently discovered that we have "teak envy." 

Last year Glen made our teak look "really good" during his solo time in Antigua putting 5 coats of Cetol wood finish on most of the boat.  Scraping, sanding, cleaning and finally applying.  Ughhh.  Tons of work.

Since then, we have run into folks who have magnificent teak... brilliant teak... beautiful teak.  We lust for the luster of the varnish on those boats and so succumbed here in Bequia.  We've been flirting with a local wood worker, Winfield of Friendshipside Yacht Services who tells us he can do wonders with our teak.  We have the time, the bank has tons of money, so we decided to strip all the "really good" work that Glen did and replace it with "excellent" work and Epifanes varnish.

Never got this far last year... needs work!

Winfield at work.  Damn, are you sure you need to redo that lovely teak in the cockpit?

Decided to clean out and paint the lazarette.

Bow pulpit sanded... looks better already

Larry sanding after Winfield scrapes off the old Cetol

A coat of sealer

... and a coat of varnish.  Can't really see the sheen in this photo

First coat of varnish

So this week we are at varnish school with Winfield.  He comes highly recommended by "Morpheus of London" and "Windswept Dreams".  We are pleased with his work so far.  Hope we are still friends at the end of the week.

We will spend 7 days hanging out here in Bequia in order to get 7 coats... one coat a day and then visit with Gary and hopefully Donna on "Page 1" in Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou.   Then down to Le Phare Bleu Marina in Grenada to strip the boat down for storage for the summer. 

Hard to believe that another season is almost done.