It has now been several months that Pandora has been “under the knife” in Trinidad and while the images suggest that the finish line is a way off, as they say, “It’s 95% preparation” or perhaps in the summer heat of Trinidad, “perspiration”. One way or the other, a remarkable amount of work has gone into getting her to the stage that she is at now.
As I write this they are getting ready to do the final spray coats of gloss paint to the entire deck, cockpit and hard dodger and based on the recent “video tour” by Amos, of Perfect Finish, who is responsible for the job, I expect that the final product is going to be pretty amazing. After the full spray is done, certain areas will receive a non-skid treatment to ensure that time on deck is safe. His plan to paint gloss first and then mask off certain areas of the boat to keep them shiny before adding non-skid with make for an amazing job.
As of a few days ago, this is what the decks looked like, silky smooth, with a number of primer coats.
Amos has been very communicative, providing weekly photo and video tours of the job. It is very helpful to get live video tours of what’s going on via WhatsApp. These detailed discussions give me confidence that things are progressing. And, so far, the job is pretty much on time.
One of the things that I have been told about getting work done in Trinidad is that you have to stay involved so they know you are thinking of them. I have to say that Amos, has kept me informed every step of the way and there have been a LOT OF STEPS.
This is the crew, well most of them. Amos, the boss, is on the left.
I have written a number of posts about what has been involved and things are now really getting serious with every inch of Pandora’s decks, cabin top, hard dodger and cockpit sanded down and primed. After each coat of primer they comb over the deck, fixing minor imperfections and prime again.
This shot of the cockpit show just how many nooks and crannies there are that needed attention. There were a number of small cracks that had been there as long I have owned Pandora. Not any more.
They filled and smoothed all of the buggers that have accumulated since her launching in 2007
You’d never know what it had looked like “pre Amos”.
My mother used to say that “it is darkest before the dawn” and I’d hate to think about being responsible for a job of this complexity. It’s overwhelming to see the condition of everything as the job progressed and all of the work that has gone into getting her to this point.
Just about all of the deck hardware has been removed and the paint carefully sanded off in preparation for refinishing. Note that the tempered glass windows for the dodger have been removed.
Now it looks so much better.
From the bow, looking aft, you get a feel for the scale of the job and what had to be done to get her to a point when she was ready for paint. At this point in the job, much of the remaining prep was hand sanding tiny areas that need final prep before priming and finish paint.
A few weeks ago, it was hard to believe that the job would ever be done.
Up near the bow there are many nooks that can not be reached by mechanical sanders. Very fiddly work. I can only imagine.
The dust in the cockpit was epic. And everything is masked to protect it from damage.
Much of the hardware was removed but some was just lifted and left in place prior to painting. These clutches had leaked for years so it’s good to have them rebedded.
All and all, the job has gone about as expected and while this is the rainy season in Trinidad, they expect to be doing the topcoat in the next week or so. After that, masking to then add non-skid . Good idea as it would wreck my whole day if I slipped and fell off of the boat 🙁
There has been one major setback in the job when they opened up an area at the aft of the cockpit that also appeared to be damp. It’s more extensive than anticipated but I suppose that’s par for the course.
However, from the time that I did a series of video calls with Amos and his team from Essex when Pandora was on a mooring in the river last summer, we were able to come up with an estimate that has basically stuck all through the job.
My only regret is that I did not listen to my friends that have been keeping their boats in Trinidad over the years as it would have been better if I had taken Pandora there for work sooner.
From my perspective the experience has been positive enough that I am going to put on a webinar on August 28th with Salty Dawg talking about Trinidad as a good place to keep your boat during the hurricane season. Chris Parker, the weather router, will cover that portion of the program. I will also share details of the work done on Pandora and will have Amos talk a bit about what sorts of services are available on the island. Finally, Jesse James, who helps cruisers on the island with tours, taxi service and general support clearing into Trinidad with join the discussion.
If you are curious, you can sign up to participate in this free webinar that will be held on August 21st. Follow this link to sign up. No need to be a member of Salty Dawg. It is open to all and if you miss it live you will be sent a link to the recording.
Finally, I should thank my friend Lynn, pictured below with Jesse, for relentlessly encouraging me to consider Trinidad as a place to leave Pandora and have work done on her.
Good call Lynn…
As they say about well done projects, “it’s 95% preparation” and especially in Trinidad, perspiration”. Yes, it has been a big job and I can’t wait to see Pandora when she’s done.
Soon, it seems. Soon.
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