R Wet Bar

Wet bar - The wet bar is located in back of the helm station at the beginning of the aft deck.

Everything that was not fastened down was removed. Next came the initial cleaning and then a detailed inspection.

A previous owner had installed Christmas tree lights around the inside of the bar so one of the first things to go were the Christmas tree lights and all of the wiring removed back to the source. The helm and navigator seats were attached to the front of the bar with large wood screws and supporting aluminum tubing. Both were removed and stored for later cleaning. The bi-fold top lid of the bar was removed followed by the fold down serving shelf. Lastly, the four doors on the lower part of the bar were removed. All of the hardware on the bar was removed. On the backside of the bar, that is, the side facing forward, there was a small door that was once used to access the port side storage locker from the helm station. Over time someone removed all of the outside hardware and screwed the door shut. After looking at it for some time and pondering what to do the decision was made to permanently seal it. The wood on the door that lapped over the outside was trimmed off and then the door was fitted squarely in the opening. Next the seam was filled with West System 105 / 205 epoxy that was thickened with West System 404 high-density filler. The process was repeated twice more, sanding in between each application.

Abandoned screw holes were re-drilled and then plugged with hardwood dowels. The dowels were buttered with West System 105 / 205 epoxy and then driven into the screw holes. Later the top of the dowels were cut off and the wood sanded smooth with 120-grit sandpaper.

Wet bar - The counter top and Formica back splash was then removed. The laminate was removed using a variable temperature heat gun. The surface of the laminate was heated and then lifted off with the help of a paint scraper. After removing the counter top and back splash two coats of West System 105 / 205 epoxy were laid down. After sanding the epoxy with 120-grit sandpaper the surface was smooth and ready for the application of new laminate.

The wood was covered with Green laminate. Green was chosen as a neutral contrasting color to the White and mahogany. The mastic was rolled on the wood and laminate and allowed to set-up. Dowels were laid down and the laminate laid on top. The dowels were then removed one at a time and the laminate pressed down with a "J" roller. The edges of the laminate were trimmed using a laminate trimmer with a flush-cutting bit.

Over the years and owners, many different types of stains, colors, tints, sealers and varnishes had been used on the boat. The net effect was that the exposed woodwork did not have a uniform color, texture or finish. The decision was made to try to achieve a level of consistency. In order to achieve a uniform look the decision was made to strip, sand, stain and refinish all the wood.

Any nicks, dings, scratches or blemishes were repaired using Famowood mahogany wood filler. With the surface repaired, the wood was smoothed using 120 and then 220-grit sandpaper producing a clean smooth finish.

The woodwork was painted with the grain with Interlux – #573 C.C. Red Mahogany Wood Filler Stain that had been thinned 50% by volume. After the stain had set-up for approximately 5 minutes the excess was rubbed off against the grain with a cotton towel.

The wood was coated with six applications of Interlux - #95 � Goldspar Varnish. In order to achieve a consistent uniform coverage, the varnish was applied using a 3� - 1/8� nap foam roller and then tipped-off with a foam brush. After drying, each application was lightly smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. The object is to fill the valleys and sand off the peaks. Before the final application, the wood was vacuumed and then wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner.

Wet bar - The bottle storage rack and the glass / napkin storage bin were next.

In preparation for the finish paint, two coats of Interlux – #4279 Pre-Kote White primer was applied using a 3” - 1/8” nap foam roller. After drying, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. The primed wood was then painted with two coats of Interlux Brightside - White. After the first coat had dried, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. Before final painting, the wood was vacuumed and then wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner.

After that the four cabinets under the bar received the same treatment. Over the years, and owners, the type and size of fasteners that were used on all the hardware had evolved so that very little was common or standardized.

All of the hardware was soaked in full strength ammonia for a week in order to loosen all of the old paint, stain, varnish and green patina. The parts were then scrubbed with a stiff bristle nylon brush and rinsed clean. The mechanical parts were sprayed with WD40 to lubricate and protect them. All of the hardware was then reinstalled using same size and types of fasteners.

The forty-year-old drain in the bottom of the stainless steel sink was showing it’s age, and no amount of cleaning could make it look better. It in turn became the next causality of the wet bar renovation process. The old drain was removed and after a trip to the home store a new drain was installed.