Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Thursday 21 December 2017

what is a workman like finish?

Maintenance tasks on Arwen continue. The rudder has been sanded backed, pre-koted and then painted with two coats of international toplac paint. From a distance of a few metres it looks a very good finish but close up - well there are a few shallow dents which I didn't bother to fill; and there are some odd paint runs and blobs on the edges of the rudder board and stock.




Which makes me wonder a little about whether I have been too lazy, insufficiently perfectionist or caring in my work? Does it really matter if there are odd paint blobs and small runs? Should I have aimed to have done a better job rather than a rushed job? Would I have accepted a recently hung door in the house painted in such a fashion.....probably not.......would I have done lesson planning in this way....definitely not.........so should I have accepted it on Arwen's rudder? Probably not!

Who knows - I'm happy enough. It will do. I can move on to other tasks and get her back on the water sooner.

But somewhere deep down is that niggling doubt...........my father, as an engineer, would have a fit I suspect! And, somewhere, it irritates me slightly that I have allowed myself to do such sloppy work. Hey Ho! Must be this retirement marlarkey creeping in!




6 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi. The wood is protected and they will work perfectly for sailing. What else matters really?
Use the time gained by getting the maps out and dreaming of trips next year!

steve said...

Merry Christmas Graham. And I agree......start planning the trips and stop worrying about cosmetics. Take care now. Steve

Bursledon Blogger said...

Good enough and go sailing - works for me. Boats take plenty of knocks and dings when I,m sailing.

Have a good Xmas

steve said...

you too max. take care

Stuart said...

Remember the ten inch rule: If you don't see any blemish from ten inches or more away, then it's good enough.
Even then, you see some mirror finishes on paintwork and varnishes which do, I admit, look great, but the owners seem to be neurotic and are always worrying about scrapes and dents. That's not what sailing (and boating generally) is about is it?
I don't think you'll enjoy sailing any less for a few cosmetic flaws, do you?
Happy New Year!
Stuart

steve said...

Hey Stuart - thoroughly agree and happy new year