To Helm with It

Rich & Jeni continue the re-fit of their Tayana 37, s/v Ramble On. Here, the helm gets treated to a new finish.  Note also the transformation of the house teak in the background between the first and last pictures - lotta work going on there...

In keeping with getting this beast ready to take out for a spin, we finally put the steering wheel (the boaty term is the helm) back on the boat.  Way back in early 2013 we took a bunch of stuff off the boat, the wheel included, and it’s been in storage ever since.  Some previous owner coated it with lovely Cetol over and over and water had gotten under the Cetol and it was peeling.  Rich stripped off the Cetol a couple years ago and a few weekends ago we sanded it with 320 grit sandpaper and put two nice, clean coats of our favorite Star Brite teak oil and sealer on it.  The post that the wheel attaches to has been a real leg-bruiser these past few years so it’s nice to get the wheel on, though I have banged my shin on it already.  Rich also made new teak knobs for the throttle and shift levers (the old ones were cracked).

Little by little, one step closer…

Light sanding with 320 grit

Getting ready to apply teak oil and sealer

First coat drying

Finally back on the boat