The Schooner Virginia is sporting both new masts and a new game plan. I was out at Lyon Shipyard today as they lowered in the new laminated foremast and mainmast which replace the original solid douglas fir masts. Those old masts were cracked and weather-worn, definitely in need of replacement.
But more important, I think, is the new game plan for the replica schooner. Instead of spending winters down south and summers on the tall ship circuit up north, she will be home-ported in Norfolk, taking school kids out for day sails and maintaining a presence on our waterfront. I don't know the details, don't even know if the details have all been worked out. But I am glad to see the ship has weathered her financial difficulties which I mentioned here a few years ago.
The Virginia is a beautiful ship and I have had the good fortune to sail down Chesapeake Bay on her, I've posted some photos of that trip here. I am very excited that she will be a part of our waterfront here in town and I can't wait to trade tacks with her this summer on the Elizabeth River.
steve
5 comments:
To Steve or anyone else -
Do you know if the new masts are painted or varnished?
They are definitely not painted, you can see the grain in the wood and the joinery. That makes me guess there is varnish on there, but I do not know for certain. It did not have the texture of oiled wood, so some sort of clear coating. steve
We'll be pulling the mast out of Papoose soon to varnish and replace a cheek block and I was wondering if there is a clear paint that would be better than varnish. Have any experience with that?
Thanks
I don't have much experience in that area, I've always used varnish myself. I have heard of something called Cetol that is a clear coating, but I don't know if that is considered a paint or a varnish. You might ask around about that.
steve
We've avoided Cetol in the past because of the orange color. After some friends recently showed us their Cetol (newer product than what we'd seen in the past) teak, we gone with it for the cockpit this and are very happy with the color. Very rich.
I don't know about using it for the mast though. I was hoping that a clear paint like awlgrip or something similar would work and last a lot longer. I am just not as comfortable going up and down in a buttbucket as I was when I was in my 20s.
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