New member

[kr9392]

Hello. We are Don & Kris Russell, owners of ‘KrisSea’, our new to us 430 Aft Mainship (2002) trawler.

We sold our house in Chicago suburbs and everything in it to live aboard KrisSea. We purchased our boat in Deltaville VA & started the loop on June 26, 2023. We’ve made it to Gulf Shores AL & so far the boat runs great with its dual yanmar motors but cosmetically needs help.

Any recommendations on where I can find how to return the wood flooring, walls, cabinets back to new? Stain? Color? Sanding? Etc. There are lots of scratches and chips in the existing floor so hopefully we can repair that.

Thank you,
Kris Russell

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. A white back there was a thread about refinishing the wood floors. Maybe do a Google search and include Trawler Forum in the search. I find Google search works easier than the TF search function.

 

[FWT]

Hello. We are Don & Kris Russell, owners of ‘KrisSea’, our new to us 430 Aft Mainship (2002) trawler.

We sold our house in Chicago suburbs and everything in it to live aboard KrisSea. We purchased our boat in Deltaville VA & started the loop on June 26, 2023. We’ve made it to Gulf Shores AL & so far the boat runs great with its dual yanmar motors but cosmetically needs help.

Any recommendations on where I can find how to return the wood flooring, walls, cabinets back to new? Stain? Color? Sanding? Etc. There are lots of scratches and chips in the existing floor so hopefully we can repair that.

Thank you,
Kris Russell

Welcome aboard

As someone trying to get to the finish line in a multi-year renovation of a 120 year old home, there are a few points to be made.

Your question cannot be answered online. What can and cannot be done is entirely dependent on both the condition of where it is now, and maybe more importantly just what you have to work with.

Certainly the walls and highly likely the flooring on a boat are veneer. Just how thick is that? IE what do you have to work with. Constraints.

A home floor sander is going to take down in the neighborhood of an eighth inch to a quarter, and will often want to go deeper in obvious damaged areas. How thick is the veneer you are working with? May well be a quarter inch thick. You can see the dilema. Start by figuring that out. The last thing I'd want to do is sand off my entire floor to nothing.

I'd guess walls might be less thick. Just a guess.

Then there is the question of to how high a standard are you shooting for in the final product? Back to showroom level? Or just "better?"

I doubt you are going to be happy with restaining if the result is blotchy. And it will be unless all varnish gets removed. By sanding.

Can't tell a thing from a post.

But the instinct says the best bet is shoot for better, not best. Scuff out the light scratches that don't penetrate the existing varnish with light fine sanding, hit it with fresh varnish and call it a day. Varnish is thin, so it will need a number of coats. My new build has, I think, 11 coats. You are building on top of old so it would be less.

I can be dead wrong about this guesswork. I'll be the first to say it.

 

[kr9392]

Welcome aboard

As someone trying to get to the finish line in a multi-year renovation of a 120 year old home, there are a few points to be made.

Your question cannot be answered online. What can and cannot be done is entirely dependent on both the condition of where it is now, and maybe more importantly just what you have to work with.

Certainly the walls and highly likely the flooring on a boat are veneer. Just how thick is that? IE what do you have to work with. Constraints.

A home floor sander is going to take down in the neighborhood of an eighth inch to a quarter, and will often want to go deeper in obvious damaged areas. How thick is the veneer you are working with? May well be a quarter inch thick. You can see the dilema. Start by figuring that out. The last thing I'd want to do is sand off my entire floor to nothing.

I'd guess walls might be less thick. Just a guess.

Then there is the question of to how high a standard are you shooting for in the final product? Back to showroom level? Or just "better?"

I doubt you are going to be happy with restaining if the result is blotchy. And it will be unless all varnish gets removed. By sanding.

Can't tell a thing from a post.

But the instinct says the best bet is shoot for better, not best. Scuff out the light scratches that don't penetrate the existing varnish with light fine sanding, hit it with fresh varnish and call it a day. Varnish is thin, so it will need a number of coats. My new build has, I think, 11 coats. You are building on top of old so it would be less.

I can be dead wrong about this guesswork. I'll be the first to say it.

Thank you. Your response Gave me alot to think about. I would be happy with better and not perfect. Thank you for that

 

[Peter B]

Hi, kr9392, FWT has given you good advice. Many years ago now, I refurbished the interior of a 1975 CHB 34, and had to do similar to what you have ahead of you. The boat had mahogany veneer on the walls - some of which was so stained with leakage I had to replace it, the for'd cabin being one such place, for example, and the floor was parquetry.

Areas of the walls and fittings not to badly damaged I just light sanded and applied about 3 coats of a good varnish, and it came up quite well. For the floor I hired a belt sander, with vacuum bag to collect the dust, and sanded it well, but did not try to go right back to bare, as like FWT said, you don't know the thickness.

I then applied about 4 coats of two pack varnish to be harder wearing, and that came up well also. So don't despair. Getting considerably better even though not to new standard is very possible. I've attached a few pics to illustrate. Best of luck...and yes, welcome to the forum. Pete

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. kr. I would suggest you live with what you've got for some time before doing much other than keeping her in good repair and watertight. Enjoy what you have before you start any major repairs/alterations. Should be about boating NOT fixing your boat. You'll have plenty of time to pretty her up when you need a break/rest.

 

[BruceK]

Scratches in wood can more or less disappear if fine brush touched with a matching stain, before re-varnishing the whole area as FWT advises in post 3 above. Stain may go darker under varnish but if you look at it wet before it dries that`s how it "should" turn out. Practice on somewhere not readily seen before the area(s)you want to make good, experiment with how you dilute the stain, a couple of applications instead of just one may help get the stain density right.
This is a "french polishing" technique I think.

 

[JohnP]

Greetings,
Mr. kr. I would suggest you live with what you've got for some time before doing much other than keeping her in good repair and watertight. Enjoy what you have before you start any major repairs/alterations. Should be about boating NOT fixing your boat. You'll have plenty of time to pretty her up when you need a break/rest.

Great suggestion, Tough to live aboard a boat while doing any major refinishing. Keep her in good running shape and enjoy!

 

[Goody]

Do you like a shiny high gloss finish or a subdued semigloss to matte finish? That might also determine your path. Work a small area first if you decide to tackle something. If you are living on the boat full time take into account the fumes/odors this type of work introduces.

 

[Action]

Welcome to the TF!

 

[janice142]

Regarding the sole ... dear friends many years ago had a beautiful Island Packet. She was one of the nicest sailboats I have ever been aboard. The inside deck (called the sole) was gorgeous, and extremely slick. She fell (no traction) and that was the beginning of the end of her (their) boating days.

Do not be quick to make the sole of your boat beautiful. It's better to be safe and uninjured.

And welcome aboard.

 

[Pascall]

Maybe here's a tip?
After 20 years, we also had moisture in the wood around the aluminum windows under the varnish.
We put 10mm plywood over it, painted in off-white 2-component lacquer, and also placed 10mm Polycarbonate in the aluminum frame of the window, we think it's even more beautiful.
Now 12 years later still in mint condition, no maintenance and the advantages of double glazing!
Moral of the story, you could put the varnished wood in a colour lacquer where it can no longer be saved.

Greeting

Pascal.