Varnish #$%^&*()_

Sorry it's been a bit quiet recently but we have been engaged in the tricky logistical endeavour of trying to varnish the whole boat (well almost) whilst still living aboard!

Since we have had Sunflower, the bathroom (and shower room ) has been varnished twice and the galley once as well as the cockpit, but all at different times and in one case while we were on the hard in Grenada and renting a small cottage for a few days. We have never attempted anything on such a big scale before. There wasn't really anything wrong with the varnish except for the grab rails and hand rails which were very black and worn looking, it just all looked a bit tired and dull. Considering we have lived on board for 9 years and never touched it it really isn't surprising:) So when we reached Key West in early 2010 we bought lots of varnish and have been carrying it around with us ever since. With lots of prospective visitors this year and next it seemed like a good time to use it!

We started small with the guest bathroom and dressing area and then moved on to the main salon and did half at a time before moving on to the cockpit which I thought would be the easy bit (I was a bit wrong there!) .

Before we could even start work for the day we had to remove all the seat cushions and backs, remove the carpet, take things off the shelves and store them, remove cupboard doors and catches, remove any fixtures and fittings including lights and speakers; cover everything in drop sheets and then reverse the process (at least partially) when we're done for the day so we have somewhere to sit! Meanwhile all the shelf things were stuffed in bags wherever we could fit them.

I have never been so dusty, sticky (I'm not the tidiest painter and get varnish all over me) and achy in my life. When this is over I never want to see another paint brush or varnish tin in my life!

When we finally finished down below it did look lovely. I used a rubbed effect finish so it's not shiny, but has a lovely honey coloured, mellow sheen, and at night it glows:) It has really brought out the lovely New Zealand wood grain and colours, I also polished all the brass knobs and they look like gold (bear with me while I wax lyrical for a moment!) although I know they will tarnish up again really quickly, they do look very nice now.

We are just finishing the cockpit,(so the carpets are still up) so still have to cover everything down below to prevent too much dust and flying varnish (yes, Alan laughed at me too until he flicked his brush by accident and the varnish 'flew' through the air, and luckily landed on a drop sheet!) However the 'easy' cockpit wasn't very. We used a different varnish, a high gloss for exteriors and it's much thicker and stickier and takes much longer to dry and was harder to apply, so getting in and out of the cockpit without touching the handholds or doorway is a tad tricky!

I used a roller for the first time (a small one like for doing behind radiators) and it worked a treat on flat surfaces, no brush marks and so much quicker! Even so it has been a very tiring 5 weeks and feels like sooooo much longer! I have never ached so much!

As we have almost finished I have done a through clean and washed all the seat covers and cushions, the deck and cockpit curtains and bimini! (our canvas awning over the cockpit) which was covered in a considerable amount of red dust,blown down from the building site next door. They are building a 5 star resort and beach club to accompany the marina, they want it opened by next year, so work goes on 12 hours a day 7 days a week. We had a building site next door last winter in Morocco as well, I swear next winter I want a marina with a building site free zone and no dirt!

The marina is very quiet now as many boats have left and only a few are occupied. I think only about 7 boats will be staying on for next year (although new ones may arrive) and not many of them will be occupied either. I can't wait to get away and feel the wind and waves moving us along. I am really looking forward to exploring the Turkish coast line and finding some wonderful anchorages.

Alan has been under the boat and cleaned 7 months of grass and slime from our bottom. The engine has been checked and the sails pulled out and all instruments checked and working, so we are good to go.

We will be leaving on Thursday which means our last night here will be the 30^th which is our wedding anniversary, so we will be able to have a nice meal at the restaurant. Much nicer than being underway which has happened on one or two occasions. Our first port of call will be a little place called Tasucu on the Turkish mainland, north of here and only about 40 miles away so a nice day sail (or motor) Once we have completed the entry formalities we can take our time cruising along the coast. Our first guests aren't due until mid September so we have plenty of time to check out all the nice places to take them. It will be so lovely to get away from other boats and dock lights at night and the general hubbub of marina life. I can't wait.....

The website will have small update tomorrow...