Project · since 2019
Woodwork & varnish care
The slow work — sanding back, building up, and keeping the mahogany bright.
What we did
- Stripping back to bare wood where the old coats had gone
- Building up fresh coats of varnish, sanded between each
- Handrails, companionway steps, cockpit table, locker doors and trim
- Ongoing since August 2019 — the season’s ritual rather than a one-off job
This one has no finish line. Every winter a few more pieces come off the boat, come home, and get laid out on the bench — handrails, the companionway steps, locker doors, the cockpit table, the tiller.
The routine is always the same. Strip back whatever the sun has taken, sand fair, then build the coats up again, cutting back between each one until the grain sits under glass. It is slow, repetitive, and completely absorbing.
The yacht needed no restoration — she came to us in good order. This is simply the upkeep a boat of her age has earned, and the part of ownership I look forward to most.
Photographed from August 2019 onward. More gets added each season.
Progress photos
26 photos from the job. Click any one to enlarge.
