12th November: Aft Deck repaired
Covid, Seatern, and me!
I sailed Seatern only three times during 2019 in each case going west to the Shingles/Needles Fairway buoy area, but sailing opportunities were limited by the weather, a problem with the Tiller Pilot, and the time spent establishing the NCI Stone Point station. Covid struck in 2020, there were lockdowns, and I decided not to sail Seatern that year. The last of the lockdowns was lifted in March 2021 and marinas opened in April. I careened Seatern in June, and managed three sails during July and August, again longish day sails.
When Swallow Yachts were still offering to build a Baycruiser 20 I occasionally got asked to show Seatern to a prospective customer. On the last occasion the male member of the couple was very large and I thought I heard a “crack” sound as he walked on the aft deck. Shortly after (in October 2021) while cleaning the deck I realised that it was cracked and felt flexible. I temporarily sealed the crack with exterior duct tape and contacted Matt at Swallow Yachts for repair advice. Given the continual bad weather that autumn I left the work for the next spring.
In March 2022 I started getting Seatern ready for sailing and looked at how to strengthen the aft deck. However at the end of that month I got covid and, although I did not have a serious illness, it left me lacking in energy which has persisted. Even now in November 2024 my legs feel tired after walks which previously I would have done in my stride. Not feeling confident to sail single handed, Seatern has languished at the jetty. Without the spur of going sailing I’m afraid I did not get the deck repair done. In my partial defence, I was still in two minds how best to repair the deck so that it would be stronger, and I was not happy using Matt’s suggestion of simply remaking the joints and fastening some wooden strengtheners over the deck top.
Refurbishing Seatern
However, I’m now better than I was and finally, in July 2024, careened Seatern and started cleaning her up. From Kemps Marina I got a recommendation for Pete Ballard as someone who could do the deck repair. I contacted him in early in August and after discussing the work needed, agreed for him to do the work on an open-ended basis since it was not obvious how much needed to be done.
Given the length of neglect, in addition to the cracked aft deck some damp had got into the ply and softened the corner of the cockpit combing. Pete advised we cut it back to sound timber well beyond the area of damp affected ply. I was happy with that since I wanted the whole aft deck to be stronger than the original construction. We agreed on the use of quality marine ply from Robbins Timber (which Pete said he would have used anyway) sealed with West Systems epoxy. In the event, he used 6mm Robbins Super Elite+ (which they guarantee 25 years!). I suggested using some matt acrylic “Barn Paint” which I had already bought for painting the companionway boards, colour matched as best I could to the rest of Seatern’s upper paintwork (RAL1013). Pete was hesitant at first but happy to use it when he saw it was made by Bedec, whose paint he had used before and found very good. It’s certainly not cheap paint, but it is standing up to the weather well on my very exposed shed windows.
Pete was able to start on 24th September and the work progressed well until the 3rd October. By then the repairs to the woodwork were complete and everything had been sealed with epoxy. However Pete had checked the specifications and found that the epoxy should be left for at least 2 weeks to post-cure before being painted. Having waited for that, and then for suitable weather, the painting was done on the 6th, 11th and 12th November with fittings reattached on the final day.
An interesting tool which Pete used during the work was a “finger sander” (see photo) which was ideal for cutting away the old epoxy fillets. I would have struggled using my Makita multi-tool and made a less neat job. Note also in the photo Pete’s wood templates, created for cutting the new ply exactly to shape.
I’m very pleased with the repair. It’s been skilfully down using high quality materials and the back deck is now really sound. The cost, a bit over £1K was less than I had been fearing! I’m in two minds whether to refasten the anti-slip pads to the raised, reinforced area. They are a problem to keep clean and the matt paint should be fine except maybe when it is frosty.