To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.

Team Red Cruising

Teak Maintenance

The cockpit has teak planks with black caulk. Very traditional looking.

The teak wears down. The caulk splits away from the wood.

I've been avoiding this for 10 years.

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At first, I thought all the caulk had to be carefully scraped out and replaced. It appears we can scrape out the loose bits, and leave the other bits in place. The rule is simple: if it's hard to remove, stop trying. This was a huge relief.

We're tackling this one section at a time. There are about 10 separate little frames around the cockpit. The four at the forward end seem good. That means we only have to work on the remaining six. Of those, four see a lot of weather, and need the most work.

Also. I think need to get many small tubes of the Sikaflex. The one big caulk gun is unwieldy for repairs and touch-up. And the stuff is thick — it does not come out willingly.

Tomorrow, we'll see how the six seams I did on this section turn out. Right now, it's a mystery. I'm hopeful that some of the Sikaflex 291 will stick in there after scraping, sanding, and wiping down with acetone.