[Public-list] Painting teak toerails - an admission

[Michael Connolly]

John,
I also didn't mean to sound off as a pompous jerk about painted teak.. The wooden Herreshoff boats that you speak of which were painted were in a different time and followed a different aesthetic.  The Alberg 30 was meant to have some type of clear finish on the exterior wood work.  You can do as you wish but as I mentioned earlier no one on this list will likely follow suit and paint their wood trim.  The idea of varnishing first, to form a barrier, and prevent the top coats of pigmented paint from finding their way into the teak wood grain will facilitate the future return back to clear coating if the next owner so wished. 
 
 I worked in the museum field for years and thus am overly sensitive to folks messing up/with the original intended aesthetics of an artifact.  I view my boats as pieces of Marine Architecture that I am lucky enough to be custodian of for a time.  Yes, I wish them to be seaworthy, but will live with their 1960's technology, so to maintain their integrity.  This is bizarre, to most current cruisers who wish to up grade with modern stuff.  When I eventually get on my boat and go cruising I also wish to go back in time and truly enjoy what the boat was like when she was designed and built.  Safety is one thing, but getting there in a hurry is something else entirely.  Carl designed the boats to be very seaworthy.  Modern gadgets can be a compromise on a basic boat.  They can malfunction and let you down at the worst of times.  Carl's design was pretty basic and sturdy.
 
If I wanted a boat to be less maintenance I would have purchased something else besides the Alberg 30.  It I wanted the convenience of gadgets to make setting the sails easier and going faster then I would have purchased something else.  You can see where I am going.  What I really would like is a 1930's wooden Alden or some-such boat.  That is just such a dream...........only the rich few can afford a wonderful boat like that.  So I have most of my dream with my Alberg 30.  Infinitely more affordable and less costly to maintain, but with handsome looks and nice teak trim, and she sails like a 'wonder' with the best of them.
 
So there you have it.  One of the most enjoyable aspects of owning an Alberg 30 is the dedication of this and the Canadian Group to the boat.  We are collectively extremely knowledgeable and most of the time tolerant of all the various owners who take pride in Alberg 30 ownership.  God bless my buddies in Albergland.
 
Michael
#133 Lorrie Rose 

 
JohnI <a30blueteal at gmail.com> wrote:
I knew this would happen!

On 9/20/05, Gordon Laco wrote:
>
> Oh John...
>
> It only takes 30 minutes to lightly sand, wipe, and lay a coat of varnish
> on
> the teak rails of an Alberg...and that is all you have to do.
>
> Gordon #426 Surprise (who wept when he saw the painted rails of his old
> boat...)
>
>
>
> > The teak toerails, hatch covers, and coamings on my boat are currently
> > varnished. After one season in the sun, the varnish is faded and
> peeling.
> > Bare wood is starting to show in places. It is particularly bad on the
> > toerails. My research so far has concluded that I need to strip this
> down
> > and start over with 6-8 coats of new varnish, then apply a coat or two
> of
> > new varnish every year to keep up the protection. As much fun as this
> > sounds, I'm thinking that I would prefer to remove the varnish, paint
> the
> > wood, and add a coat or two of paint every 3 or 4 years. Has anyone on
> the
> > list done this? If so, I'd appreciate info on the materials and
> technique
> > you used. Thanks.
> > John
> > #284
> > _______________________________________________
> > These businesses support your Association:
> > http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
> > Please support them.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Public-list mailing list
> > Public-list at alberg30.org
> > http://alberg30.org/mailman/listinfo/public-list
>
> _______________________________________________
> These businesses support your Association:
> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
> Please support them.
> _______________________________________________
> Public-list mailing list
> Public-list at alberg30.org
> http://alberg30.org/mailman/listinfo/public-list
>
_______________________________________________
These businesses support your Association:
http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
Please support them.
_______________________________________________
Public-list mailing list
Public-list at alberg30.org
http://alberg30.org/mailman/listinfo/public-list


 1127327046.0