(Yes, I know it has been a loonngg time since I added to this blog. Life.)
I looked back to see, and I don't think I have ever mentioned this topic, so here goes.
As a part of owning Eolian and being responsible for her maintenance and upkeep, the beautiful teak and holly cabin sole needs periodic maintenance - more so in the more frequently traveled areas. This involves taping off an area, sanding with 220 grit sandpaper to provide "tooth" for the new coat of varnish to grip, and then applying varnish.
Recently, I took on the sole beneath the dinette table - an area that gets scuffed by people getting in and out of the dinette seating - something we do several times a day when aboard.
Here is a pictorial of that trip:
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| Tape and sand |
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| Apply varnish |
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| Voila! Pull the tape. |
But here is where the "Old Ways" part that I put in the title comes in:
When people are sliding out of the aft dinette seating, just above where this picture was taken, the natural tendency is to place your foot on the edge of the raised sole to assist. A shiny varnish surface provides no traction for this, and in fact can lead to an awkward slide and fall. To counteract this, I apply some non-skid to the edge of the raised sole just there.
What kind of non-skid, you rhetorically ask? Why, I'm happy you asked: I use salt varnish. This is a method whose origins are lost in the dusty archives of boating lore... but it is dead simple and very effective.
- Mask off the area to be treated, apply a fresh coat of varnish.
- Immediately sprinkle salt liberally onto the wet, uncured varnish
- When the varnish is cured, vacuum off the salt, pull the tape, and remove the remaining salt by dissolving it in water using a wet sponge.
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| Tape, varnish, salt |
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| Easy and effective! |
One should never disparage the Old Ways - there are some very clever and effective solutions hidden in them!