Bright Work

Click here to see the extensive refurbishment of her brightwork. 

OR

Here is a documentation of the work done by Svendsen's Boat Works in Alameda from November 2005 to the present.  Click on each phase to see details of the work. 

Phase I:  November 2005 through March 2006.  Mast rebuild, new rigging, recoring the foredeck, new lifelines and lifeline stanchion bases.

Phase IB:  The work of Phase I continues.  From April 2006 through June 2006.  New bottom, new shaft, new prop, new cutlass bearing, and a new transom paint job.   

Phase IB Cont.  July 2006.  The work continues.  New B&G instruments, new bilge pump system, huge new holding tank system, and repair of previous grounding damage from the Caribbean. 

Phase II:  Electrica System Update, New Force 10 Stove, Bottom Rework Part Deux

Phase III:  Repowering with a new Westerbeke 44;  Cleaning and repainting of bilge;  Installation of new Furuno NavNet2 radar, GPS, and other electronics;  refinishing of cabin sole.

Phase IV:  Scheduled for Summer of 2009 just prior to going cruising.  This phase will include the installation of a Monitor Windvane with emergency steering, a Spectra watermaker, and (perhaps) an electric winch. 

Very few topics regarding the construction of an older boat is as controversial as teak decks.  The term "leaky teaky" is thrown about quite a bit, and I guess some boats, particularly some early Taiwan boats, deserve that name. Astraea, however, has very tight decks with no leaks at all.  The teak is original, and is "old growth" teak from Burma, not modern plantation teak that is softer and does not have the tight grain of the old growth teak. 

A lot of people who buy these boats rip off the teak complaining that the teak leaks or is too old and thin or is too hot on bare feet.  Once again my esthetic side over rides the practical side, and I was determined to save and retain these decks.  Below you can see the decks are in good shape and a gentle treatment every two years or so with Teak Wonder every cuple of yeasrs does "wonders" for the teak. 

There is a problem with the "bungs" over the countless screws coming out as the teak has gotten thinner with age.  However the former owner showed me how to mix a filler from West Systems with West Systems Epoxy and hardener.  This forms a paste that can be put into the bung hole over the screw and it looks almost like a teak bung, and will not come out.  Works for me! 

There is also a problem with the caulking.  Some of the original caulking is very hard, but it is still in place.  Some sections have been replaced with various caulks.  I have found that the Teak Deck Company in Florida makes a great caulk that flows well and it is sold in the chandelry at Svendsen's Boat Works.  I am still working in developing a technique for caulking deck seams neatly, evenly, and cleaning.  However I am getting better at it.  Some of my first efforts will no doubt have to ripped out once I better at the procedure.  Oh, well, that is the learning curve of working on boats! 

During phase three of the refit in the Summer of 08 it was really necessary to do wome teak deck repair.  I am really in a quandry just how much to do, as it is so damn expensive to have this work done here in the SF Bay Area.  However, there is one broken board which must be replaced.  Also, there is one piece of teak missing along both sides of the boat alongside the toerail.  Apparently a former owner had a leak along the deck/toerail seam, and decided to remove the teak and caulk it.  Well, this has started to leak again and there is some damage inside to the teak bulkheads.  A big problem is that when there is water on deck (which on a boat is a lot of the time) it sits in this recesss along the toerail where the teak was removed.  It seemed the only suitable solution was to have the yards replace those two missing teak boards.  Cost will be about $4,000.  Outrageous.  However this is San Francisco. 

 

Svendsen worker replacing broken teak piece. 

I really am in a quandry over what to do with the decks.  They are really in too good a shape to rip them out and replace them.  Besides, if that were done here in San Francisco the cost would be prohibitive.  Probably a good $80K or more.  Not an option.

I have thought about having new decks put on her in Mexico, however even there the cost would be about $30K. 

I am thinking that these decks are in good shape and that I should take off on my cruise with them and see how things go.  I do worry about water intrusion into the deck core, however that does not seem to have happened yet.  I am thinking that this might be a good job to have done in Thailand where the teak is readily available, and I can get good quality teak and not South American plantation teak that is fast growing and soft.  So right now it is patch and wait and see what happens.