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Captain Don
~ Captain Don ~
The Helm Seat
— Last Refit: 06 Aug 2007 —
…And a Star to Steer Her By
We were anxious to go sailing, but our helm seat was in a shambles. There was some serious concern that the helmsman would fall into the lazzaret at a crucial moment. Hans Christian's seem to have one consistent flaw – the use of cheap plywood on the backside of the helm seat. Exposed to the elements 24-7, the seat base under the teak had warped, delaminated, and crumbled and there was serious concern that it wouldn't hold much weight. Don took on the job of the rebuild right away.
Don Working on the Helm Seat
~ Don Working on the Helm Seat ~

We were fortunate to be located close to a teak supplier, and our first thought was to get some good marine-grade plywood, coat it well with epoxy, and reassemble the seat. A book I had read on simple boat projects came to mind, and I suggested using polyethylene in place of the plywood. It would never rot, was easy to work with and scraps available at the marine surplus store were fairly cheap. The hardest part was cutting out the pattern with a jig saw, but this side was never going to be seen so it didn't have to be perfect.

Don did an excellent job with the rebuild, got some practice in caulking, and turned the end product over to me for the final finish. Three coats of oil, 12 coats of varnish, and lots of screws to re-attach the seat to the boat. We were finally ready to sail while safely seated at the helm!

Stripped Down Helm Seat
~ Stripped Down Helm Seat ~
Refinished Helm Seat
~ Refinished Helm Seat ~
The Throne
~ The Throne ~
Refit: 06 Aug 2007
The cockpit had dark brown canvas covered cushions that literally burned our butts after they sat in the Florida sun. And they were like sponges in the rain! It soon became painfully obvious we needed a much lighter color, and would therefor have to invest in new cushions. So we arrived at the annual St. Pete Sail-Only boat show with cash in hand, prepared to purchase custom cushions from a company that received very good ratings. They already had the pattern for our odd-shaped cockpit, so it was just a matter of placing the order. With the life raft located just forward of the cockpit dodger, I had a difficult time seeing while seated and was excited to see a raised saddle seat among the vendor's wares.

When we told the sales rep what we wanted, he hesitated over his notepad.

"Is your boat named Laughing Dolphins?" he inquired.

"No, Re Metau" we responded, a bit confused.

"I just finished taking an order for a HC33T! It's that couple right over there!"

Needless to say, after we completed our business, we immediately went over to introduce ourselves to the new owners of another Hans Christian 33T – small world!

The set of custom-fitted, vinyl dipped foam soon arrived, and what a beautiful improvement it was to the cockpit, as well as to our enjoyment while out on the water. We were finally able to be in the cockpit with cool, dry butts!

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Boat Projects✵
Electrical Projects
The Battery Charger
The Battery Charger
Last Refit: 05 Nov 2005
Poof is Not a Good Sound
The Battery Charger
Stereo & Speakers
Last Refit: 16 May 2012
Travelin' with Tunes
The Battery Charger
Solar Stik & Wind Generator
Last Refit: 20 Mar 2008
Green-ergy

HVAC Projects
The Fresh Water System & Water Heater
The Fresh Water System & Water Heater
Last Refit: 04 Apr 2010
Water Water Everywhere…
The Galley Faucet
The Galley Faucet
Last Refit: 27 Apr 2012
Master Control Center
Head Faucets
Head Faucets
Last Refit: 10 Aug 2010
A Head of Our Times
Engine & Sails Projects
Engine Maintenance
Engine Maintenance
Last Refit: 19 Jul 2016
Tending the Herd in a Storm
Motor Mounts
Motor Mounts
Last Refit: 26 May 2007
New Shoes for the Mistress
Cabin Projects
Berth Mattress
Berth Mattress
Last Refit: Jan 2014
Cushion the Blow

Paint, Varnish & Canvas
The Brightwork
The Brightwork
Last Refit: 23 Aug 2016
Our Tub of Teak
The Helm Seat
The Helm Seat
Last Refit: 06 Aug 2007
…And a Star to Steer Her By
The Hatches
The Hatches
Last Refit: 07 Dec 2005
Are You Going to Rebuild Those?
Canvas Coverings
Canvas Coverings
Last Refit: 08 Nov 2013
Spruced Up
Deck Re-Caulking
Deck Re-Caulking
Last Refit: 25 Sep 2008
The Cost of Teak Decks

Deck Hardware & Anchoring
Dinghy Davits
Dinghy Davits
Last Refit: 14 Oct 2013
Dinky Duck's Hangout
Mast Steps
Mast Steps
Last Refit: 10 Apr 2008
Easy Installation and Other Lies
✵ Where Are We Now?✵
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My Most Recent Magazine Article!
All At Sea - Caribbean Magazine
🙟 Families Afloat: Cook on a Hook 🙝
October, 2018 - Page 56
Click to download this issue for FREE! I'm so excited to have made the cover, as well as to be able to share our Caribbean experience with a broader audience. I hope you enjoy it!
New Cruising Blog
New Cruise Blog
🙟 Paradise Next Door 🙝
Bahamas Cruise
18th May 2011
Exuma's West Coast
Our tour of the island's southern end was so wonderful, we thought it'd be a good idea to break out the bikes and see what the northern part had to offer. We hadn't used them much since Great Harbor, so both our…
New Boat Projects
New Mattress
🙟 Berth Mattress 🙝
Last Refit: Jan 2014
Cushion the Blow
Most sailboats 40' and under have as the master cabin, a V-berth located up in the bow of the boat. It's just like it sounds; a pie shaped space usually built high up along the hull so as to be …
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2015 – Present — Caribbean Cruise
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