We set off this morning for our second day of Bayshore Discovery Project work. As we did Friday, half of the group went to the boatyard and half to the Bayshore Center. Both groups spent time sanding, oiling, and painting in order to get the AJ. Meerwald ready for spring sailing.
Oiling at the Bayshore Center
Today in Bayshore we oiled pieces of the AJ Meerwald. New coats of oil protect the old wooden ship parts from salt, wind, sun, and water damage. We started outside on the dock by oiling the spars we sanded last Friday. Since Friday the wood had time to dry so we could oil the two large pieces. Our whole group was able to work on the two pieces of wood and oil the pieces to make them shining and new. After finishing the spars, we went inside to oil blocks for the boat.
Blocks are the nautical name for the pulleys that hold ropes (“rigging”) for controlling the sails. Before we oiled the blocks we had to sand them THREE different times, for around 15 minutes each, using different sandpaper each time. The first time we used 80 grain paper, the roughest grain to get all the visible old varnish and oil off the wood. Then you move on to the 120 grain sandpaper to take out every last bit of old varnish while also making the wood smoother. Last we used 220 grit paper strictly for smoothing the wood and making it feel nice. Once we were finished sanding the blocks we oiled them as well.
Notes from the Boatyard (no oiling here)
At the boatyard, we kept sanding and painting the surfaces we started working on last Friday. Some of us were in the engine room; the rest of us were sanding the rails or other parts of the boat on deck, or painting in the boatyard near the Meerwald.
