Hangin' out on the boat

We didn't have much planned for this weekend boat-wise. Lots of our dockmates went to Napatree to raft up together and it turned out we almost had the dock to ourselves.  Saturday, was a warm and sunny day and we used that time to wash the boat completely, not with a deck brush, mind you, but on our hands and knees scrubbing all the old salt and grime that had collected.  Looked nice when we were finished and Pooka the boat cat decided that sleeping on a chair was a better choice than prowling around outside in the cockpit.

On Sunday, we were sitting outside and began discussing the refinishing of the wood trim around the sliding glass door. We had noticed as we washed on Saturday, that the discoloration on the wood seemed to be mold and some of it came off with the mild soap we were using.  Now, on Sunday, Frances decided to try some of her favorite cleaning material and an old tooth brush to see how clean she could get that trim.  Using two tablespoons of Dirtex dissolved in a gallon of water, she began scrubbing at the discolored teak.  In about a half hour, the trim appeared to be free of mold.  We let it dry while we went to get some lunch and when we came back, the trim on the starboard side looked good enough to refinish without sanding.  The second photo is the starboard side showing what the trim looks like before scrubbing with Dirtex.

The plan now is to mask the newly cleaned teak and apply multiple coats of Sikken Cetol.  Once that is done, we'll reverse the masking and paint the wall area surrounding the teak.

There are July 4th fireworks in Norwich where we keep our boat next weekend, so maybe we'll get a chance to begin that refinishing process then.

That Sunday lunch we mentioned was at Harry's in Colchester.  We both wanted a good old fashioned hamburger and there is nothing like that short of fast food in Norwich.  Harry's has been there for 90 years (or so the sign says) and it's a place that just about everyone knows about. It's all outside and probably very much as it was in the 1940s. The burgers are cooked perfectly and served on little rolls. The french fries actually taste like potatoes and the fried onion rings will send you to an early grave with a smile on your face and grease on your lips.  Perfect for a humid, early summer afternoon.