SECOND IN A SERIES, BY PAT AND PAUL ESTERLE (CAP’N PAULEY VIDEO PRODUCTIONS, 2000; 22 MINUTES; $19.95 PLUS $3.50 SHIPPING AND HANDLING)
VIDEO REVIEWED BY BILL DIMMITT,

We’ve all been there. You’ve got a wonderful old boat that’s begging for some serious TLC. But your list of wants and needs is long, and your boating budget is (as always) stretched beyond fiscal reason. What to do? I suspect the answer for Pat and Paul Esterle came in a flash of inspired desperation. As long as they were going to do all this stuff anyway, why not record their results and offer the videotapes to the rest of us? Blunders and Band-Aids aside, they would try to show us the way. Wish I’d thought of it.

Now put yourself in the Esterles’ well-intentioned Docksiders, and you’ll get an inkling of what to expect. Slick i t is not. But it has an appealing, real-world honesty that I hope won’t become too polished as things progress. Paul apologizes for this perceived shortcoming up front, and you know he’s one of us. He makes no pretense about being an expert, and his low-keyed, let’s-do-this-together approach is refreshing and informative.

Watching the videotape, it becomes clear that casting Spartite is really pretty simple. Nearly everything needed comes with the product. The secret, as with so many things, is careful preparation. Not the least of which is getting your mast properly positioned – and this isn’t mentioned in the tape. Spartite is a one-shot deal, so do your homework. Other than that, each step is documented reasonably well and potential users will soon realize that installing Spartite is easier than sailing your boat. I suspect this was Paul’s first experience (why would you need a second?) and, just like the rest of us, he had to open the box and dive in. It’s reassuring that things turned out so well. But the end result can only be rated average, due to minor cosmetic issues that others can avoid. Therein lies the value of this tape: watching it will give you an insight that otherwise could only be gained from experience, and you’ll probably do a better job. My only real criticism is the use of plastic model paint as a final finish. One-part polyurethane is, and should have been, the obvious choice.

So if you’re curious about Spartite, but afraid the project would be difficult, or you might botch the job, this tape may ease your mind. It won’t win awards for cinematography, but it has Spartite’s blessing and that should speak for itself. To its credit, the company also has a Web site  that provides an abundance of serious technical information. Check it out before buying the tape or the product.