I have no idea why we chose the month of August to redo varnish and work on the outside of the boat. The heat and humidity have been brutal. However, the sense of accomplishment we feel is well worth it. Miss Leap feels the love.

After finishing the salon door, we jumped right in to tackle the flybridge ladder and window frame behind it. Before pic of the ladder and window:

After pic:

Kim had the honor of pulling the tape. She applied almost all the coats of Cetol Natural and Gloss.

Then we had no choice but to strip the deck. We’ve already returned the bow and portside walkway to its natural state. You can see what the deck looked like below the door in the above pics. This area was particularly difficult to strip. The old varnish just did not want to come off!

Once the stripping was finally finished, we began sanding. It was hot and sweaty, so we took turns.

FINALLY! We wrapped it up about 6:00 pm. A long day of physical labor. I grabbed a beer and just sat and admired the results of our joint effort.

Today, we took a break from boat chores. Instead we provisioned for a little trip out to Pelican Bay. We still have the starboard side windows (and another door) to do yet. Then we’ll be done with the major stuff. We should be able to enjoy our winter in the Keys without worrying over teak maintenance.