Fireplace Facelift

Better than new after half a century

Issue 128: Sept/Oct 2019

There are few experiences I enjoy more than dropping the hook in an empty anchorage, early or late in the Lake Superior sailing season, when the skies are clear and cool, and then opening a book and a beer while bathed in the warm glow of my fireplace.

You read that right. Built into the forward bulkhead of the main saloon of Siren Song, my 1966 Ted Hood Auxiliary Racing Sloop, is an honest-to-goodness, cast-iron, burn-what-you-have, Scottish-built, Simpson Lawrence fireplace.

The first year or two I owned Siren Song, I found the fireplace a bit frustrating. It was smoky and didn’t seem to throw off a lot of heat. I finally learned that the key is to burn enough fuel to heat up the box and chimney and thus create a strong convection up the chimney. I’ve burned everything from driftwood to compressed sawdust bricks, but find charcoal briquettes to be tidy, compact, and a good source of heat.

A nice design feature is that the fireplace backs up to the head and the chimney passes through the head, making that space a very effective wet locker. I hang my foul weather gear up in there at night and it’s nice and dry in the morning. (But I’ve learned to not stow my stick of Old Spice too close to the chimney!)

Despite her attributes, my fireplace’s original decorative tiles were cracked and unsightly. For the past few years, I’d kept an eye open for replacement tiles, but I’d not found anything both unique and eye-catching, and appropriate to Siren Song and her teak cabinetry, mahogany cabin top, fire box was cracked in a few places and needed to be welded. With the fireplace out, it was interesting to see how, at the time of the original and teak and holly sole. Then, on a snowy winter’s day, I wandered into Eckels Pottery of Bayfield, Wisconsin. The owners patiently showed me a variety of finishes and glazes that could be applied to kiln-fired tile. The time had arrived for a fireplace facelift.

After counting and measuring the tiles I needed, I worked with Eckels and settled on matte, dusty green tile (similar to the original Collinsworth tile), but with random splashes of glossy cobalt blue, which I hoped would stand out and compliment the reupholstered interior, but not overwhelm it. Because the handmade tiles wouldn’t be ready for a few weeks, I got busy prepping the fireplace.

The tiles were held in place with cement, grout, two missing pins, and a stainless steel frame around the perimeter. As I removed the frame to release the old tile, I learned (with a thud) that this frame attached the entire fireplace to the bulkhead. So, I removed the fireplace. This turned out to be fortuitous.

Several of the screws that attached the frame broke off as I tried to remove them. Several bolts at the top of the fire box that held the gasketed flue in place, had rusted loose. The installation, they’d used asbestos panels around the back side and up the bulkhead to protect the wood surfaces from heat exposure.

Once I’d had the fire box welded, tapped new screw holes, and securely attached the flue, it was time to install the tile. From the U.K., I ordered Vitcas high-temperature sealer, adhesive, and grout. I followed the preparation instructions and the installation went smoothly. After cleaning the tile and allowing the grout to set, it was a simple matter of muscling the fireplace back into position, attaching it to the bulkhead, repositioning the chimney on top of the flue, and replacing the stainless steel heat shield behind the chimney.

These days, the joy I get from my fireplace is magnified. It’s fresh, locally made, distinctive face is ready to keep Siren Song’s crew warm for another 50 years.

Reb Blanchard is the fourth owner of Siren Song, and he has spent much of his time maintaining, improving, and sailing her since he purchased her in 2010. He often sails Lake Superior solo, enjoying the Apostle Islands and the uncrowded open waters of the big lake.

 

Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com