cheechakoe
2009-05-30 22:33:52
First, a note of thanks to Jon for providing this forum. Have found it both instructive 'n entertaining. Many thanks.
Here's my deal. Am brand-new to trolling (crewed for a friend last season, then bought a boat 'n power-troll permit in late-August 'n charged straight off to Cross Sound w/my buddy -- w/his enthusiastic consent, i.e. I didn't leave him high and dry for crew -- and fished out the season there, then been doing boatwork since, in between having to return to the Lower 48 to retrieve my two four-legged deckhands, who are both about as handy as a cub bear on-board so far, but that's another story).
Am in the initial stages of doing a Tufflex job on my deck, the seams of which are/were covered w/pitch/tar. Have scraped and sanded the surface tar offa the planking, but was wondering:
How important is it to furrow alla the tar outta the seams? I've started doing it (removed alla the tar outta the seams surrounding the cockpit and stuffed cotton caulking into the seams then covered w/Sikaflex). Anyone have any experience they'd like to share w/Tufflexing over a wood deck that has tar-filled seams? Or is it better to get alla the tar out? Is there a better way of going about it than I'ma doin'?
Also, was wondering how critical it is that the wood be bone-dry before priming? (W/the last rains we've had, my tented-over back deck sprung a leak in the tarp and my deck got fairly wet in places.) Is there a best method for drying the deck? (Missed my window w/alla that great weather we had not too long ago.)
Any insights or experiences w/this process would be greatly appreciated, specially those I've failed to consider (which are prolly legion). As you can prolly gather, I'ma rank newbie and just tryin' not to make any avoidable errors.
Tx. again
p.s. Kinda off-topic, but onna buddy's recommendation, just finished Wayne Short's great books, "The Cheechakoes" (hence the handle; thought the newbie part fit) and "This Raw Land". Great stuff.