This spring/summer we performed two major jobs (mostly cosmetic but practical as well) on Plume.

At dock with new colors

First, we finally varnished the cap rail and rub rail. We already had done the rub-rail one time before, but it had been a failure due to a bad varnish. So the teak wood had been left bare for most of Plume’s life. In fact we (specially Lorenzo!) like the appearance and touch of the grey teak, but we thought that the wood would resist longer with a proper protection. After many other experiments we finally found a system that works well for us and seems to last long without re-varnishing every six months. It is a dual process with 1 impregnation + 3 coats of epoxy (West System) followed by 3-5 + 1 final coats of a two part urethane (Bristol Finish). This is a considerable job but the benefit is less maintenance afterwards.

Secondly, we had the Plume’s topsides repainted by a boat yard. The original gelcoat was showing signs of oxidation. This is probably due to a lack of maintenance from our part (our experience with a varnished plywood/epoxy hull made us thought that fiberglass was maintenance free!). Anyway, it was time for a refresh and since we could choose any color we wanted, we decided to reverse Plume’s original colors. This was a tough decision because we loved our Blue Boat. However, we are hoping that a light color will last longer and generate less heat inside the boat if we go farther south. The boat yard did an excellent job and Plume has now beautiful cream topsides with a navy stripe. They used a linear polyurethane (AWLGRIP) that is supposed to last much longer than gelcoat and require less maintenance as well.

We are delighted with our fresh Plume, and even start to be accustomed to see her in her new dress!