Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022
Poking and picking at a corner of worn teak on the port seat behind Yahtzee’s helm, I slowly test the wood’s integrity. Unexpectedly, a slightly upturned slat breaks free in a crack and a splinter.
“Well, looks like we’ll be stripping all of this off far sooner than expected,” I say to my wife, Jill, with a shrug and laugh.
In the moment, I’m not surprised. We both knew this day was coming. The question of when was answered: Now.
Senior Editor Wendy Mitman
Clarke (far left) greets Marissa
and Chris Neely of S/V Avocet,
who stopped by the Good Old
Boat booth during the U.S. Sailboat Show in 2021.
Built in 1984, our Grand Soleil 39 was, fortunately, one of several that did not receive a full teak deck. It did, however, come with a teak cockpit. According to documents I found on the boat after buying her a decade ago, I learned that the port and starboard seats forward of the helm and companionway entrance had been replaced a few years prior. But the helm seats and coaming had not, and now more than ever, it shows.
I say all this not to complain about the wood itself or the inevitably thankless task ahead of stripping it off and fairing the fiberglass underneath. Rather, my quandary is in finding a suitable replacement that will not only look smart but last for years to come.
Tired teak isn’t the only thing on the list that needs a refresh (is it ever?).
After sailing Yahtzee hard from the high latitudes of Alaska south to the tropics, we can see that upgrade season is upon us. The reefer box and its components could use reinsulating or replacing. It might be time for new electronics. And the cushions in our saloon are far past their use-by date. But what components do we replace them with—which woods, fabrics, and foams?
To one extent or another, we’ve all been here before, haven’t we? Some part of our beloved boat needs to be upgraded, and while we have a pretty good idea of what we want, at the same time, we don’t.
That’s just one of the reasons I’m looking forward to attending the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, in October. What better place to look for gear, gadgets, and materials; to touch them, inspect their various qualities, and talk to actual humans face-to-face about what makes them the right choice for my boat—or not. Maybe there’s something more suitable, and the boat show is a smorgasbord of possibilities and imagination.
At the show, you’re likely to find me looking at electronics, teak replacements, and various rigging bits and bobs. I’ll also be walking on boats of all types to get ideas and inspiration for my own.
Like me, most of you won’t be attending the show to buy a brand-new boat. Far from it. We’re there for the camaraderie and community. And we’re there for the things that will make our boats more comfortable, beautiful, safe, and prepared to sail than they ever have been.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
