80 Grit and Elbow Grease

There’s a chilly wind coming out of
the west today.  It’s nice to find
an inside project on days like this. 
With our dust masks in place, we set to refinish one of the
rowing skiffs that spends its days swaying in the continuous lap of waves in
the cove.  Over time, intense use
and inevitable rubbing takes its toll on the soft wooden rails of the two
beautiful boats.  After a couple of
summers, the gleaming, wood grain is masked by the wear of warm, summer fun.

Adam, Ian, and I begin stripping the layers of old varnish and paint, careful
not to gouge the delicate rails. 
It’s a pain staking process that results in sore arms and a newly found
respect for the men and women that do this sort of thing day in and day out.  Next step is the sanding of the now
bare wood; we go with 80 grit.  With the grain, we go back and forth…the dust thick in the shop air. 
With all the surfaces smooth and ready to be recovered, we snapped a
couple of pictures so that you could follow along with us.  We will be painting several coats over
the next couple of weeks. 

It won’t be long before we are
sliding this beautiful boat back into the cool water of Sebago.  Once latched securely to the finger
docks, it will be there waiting for the arrival of our summer friends.  The life jackets will be hanging over
by the shuffle board sticks.  'Til then…

Summers
coming,

                                                                                               Phil, Adam, and Ian