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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. We hired a professional rigger to tune our boat the first time. When the mast was stepped after shipping, the standing
rigging was connected just well enough to get us safely to our home port. We believed it made sense to get the mast, stays
and shrouds perfectly adjusted the first time to really experience how our ship is suppose to sail, and then we were ready
to take her out!
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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 Christians seem to have one consistent flaw - the use of cheap plywood on the
backside of the helm seat. Don took on the job of the rebuild. 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 bottom paint, 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.
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