Drumler

Drumler with her hull sandblasted and topsides needing a bit of TLC

The first thing people tend to say when I tell them I have bought Drumler is: “I hope you like sanding and varnishing”.  Well, it’s true – there’s no getting around the fact that wooden boats need a lot of work to keep them in good condition. Drumler’s previous owner, David Dow, had kept her in excellent nick.  He had a rolling 4 year programme, where he did eg. the port topsides, from the waterline to the sheerstrake, in year 1; in year 2 he did the starboard topsides; in year 3 he did the port sheerstrake to the gunnels; and in year 4, the starboard sheerstrake to the gunnels.  Oh – and he also painted all the brightwork (ie. exposed woodwork) with seven coats of varnish each year. But the one thing he had not done for quite a long time was to strip the hull of anti-fouling, and even the survey pointed out that this was looking pretty thick and gnarly.  So David warned me that this was something I probably ought to do. Having bought her only last September, I have now spent more time repainting Drumler than I have sailing her.  But, hey, that’s life with wooden boats.  I’m going to do a short series on the refurb effort over the next few posts