Cleaning the Floorboards

Yesterday we undertook a project we’ve been talking about for months – pulling up all the floorboards, cleaning what’s underneath and polishing the boards themselves. Adam did this project solo quite awhile back, but in the years since the floor has had a lot of wear and tear – and due to our recent trip to the Channel Islands, some water damage.

We started off by unscrewing the boards from the floor.

Then we lifted off the floorboards one at a time. The bilge (shown below) is underneath two of the floorboards in the main salon.

After that we took the boards outside in installments and spread them out on the dock.

Our strategy was a three-part teak cleaning system that we got from West Marine.

Here’s a “before” shot of one of the most damaged parts of the floor – from underneath the entryway. Notice all the scuff marks and discoloration.

“After” shot – Tada!

Here’s a shot of the interior of the boat before we replaced all the boards. As you’ll notice, I accidentally changed the setting on the camera – it turns out it can take black and white pics.

The benefit of the wrong camera setting is that it really showcases my flip flops and glove in this next pic. The treatments we were using kept emphasizing how the contents contained POISON – so I tried not drink any and was diligent about wearing one glove at all times.

While the boards were up, Dana found creative places to sit..and spill over.

Next boat project while still in Santa Barbara: getting to the top of the mast to replace the anchor light and the wind vain.