1999

VARNISHING

So it’s ’99, Ulla, my fantastic Danish crew for 6 yrs , Thalia and I were in Fl, working so we could top up the cruising kitty and return to Cartagena, Colombia and then on to the San Blas for some relaxation. Then we planned on transiting the Panama Canal and sailing across the S Pacific to catch up with some friends we’d cruised with 3 yrs previously, Bill and Gemma Mae were living and building Adam 40s, a cold molded, racer/cruiser in Airlie Beach, Australia. He liked what I’d done with the energy systems on Thalia and promised that if we built 5 of them, and sold 3, we’d each have one. We were in.

Ulla wound up working in Fl on a Broward 80’ power boat, the boat chartered a few times a month, so she was 1st mate, but mostly varnishing it and the owners new house. When I met Ulla on the south coast of Grenada, she’d never touched a varnish brush. Since I hate it and am spectacularly bad at applying a smooth coat of varnish, Ulla wanted to give it a go. That woman, in very short order, learned to varnish like a goddess.

There was a storm and a faulty dock damaged the Broward, one side of the hull had to be repainted, there was no shortage of interest from the nearby boatyards, it was an insurance job and the bill was going to be big. The captain, Rick, had an old 56’ Chriscraft power boat and cut a side deal with the successful yard, they would pull his Chriscraft for the duration of the Broward project. He wanted Ulla to help him paint his boat. Obviously there was no problem with the yard.

The yard said the Broward was a 3 day job so ulla and the captain figured they’d at least get the hull under the spray chines done and finish in the water. Ulla, while a great varnisher, had never used 2 part polyurethane paint, but that didn’t bother her captain, the Chriscraft was a beater anyway. So out everybody came and Ulla and Rick started out doing rushed bodywork on the fiberglass lower hull and soon Ulla was mixing paint. It’s fairly obvious that a good looking woman with a delightful Scandinavian accent is going to attract some attention from the workers in any boatyard. “You can’t brush 2 part poly paint, honey” drawled one helpful employee. “When we were in the Abacos, Bahamas, a couple of yrs ago I spent the day with their paint crew while they were painting a brand new sportfisherman (I think it was a Buddy Davis, but I might have the brand wrong) and they were brushing it.” She explained while mixing. “No way, those are sprayed” came the reply. “No, 5 guys on scaffolding, keeping a wet edge, while the 6th mixed paint and topped up their pots and added brushing reducer.” She responded. They started off trolling and tipping, but after 10 min she fired Rick, she was getting better results just brushing, Rick didn’t mind. At the end of the day pretty much all the workers came over to inspect the job, or maybe to inspect Ulla, that’s what I would’ve done if I worked in that yard. “You know, your bodywork sucks, but the paint job is pretty good, I’ve seen worse spray jobs.” Was the popular sentiment from the workers.

The spray job on the Broward wasn’t good and the yard agreed it would have to be redone. Another 3 days was their estimate. Ulla and Rick resolved to do much better bodywork on one hull side and how Ulla kept a 6’ wet edge on that hull’s bow I’ve no idea, but at the end of the day the general consensus of the workers was bodywork still wasn’t perfect but the paint job was damn nice. The paint shop work screwed up the Broward a 2nd time and agreed to have another run at it. Now they had a further 5 days, lots of paint to remove on the Broward, so Ulla and Rick did pretty good body on the remaining hull side and transom and Ulla painted it in one go. Now the workers were openly appreciative and not just of Ulla. They claimed they rarely sent out a paint job that good.

At this point the owner of the yard appeared and asked “ Where did you learn to do that?” Ulla replied “That’s my 1st time with 2 part poly paint, but I do a lot of varnishing.” He then offered Ulla $25/hr to paint for him. “Then I can fire that useless spray painter.” He grumbled. “Sorry can’t do it” Ulla explained “My boyfriend and I are going cruising in 2 mths and I’m not legal in the USA.” “God, that’s no problem, no one working on boats in S Fl is legal. Plus if you can only give me 2 mths that’s plenty of time for you to teach 2 of my guys to do that.” He enthused. “No really, I’m varnishing the owners house and I haven’t finished the Broward” said Ulla. “No problem, I’ll give you as much time off as you need for your other work and pay you $30/hr when you’re here.” reasoned the owner. This might be a good time to point out that Ulla was being paid $12/hr clear by her current employers. “No really I promised these people I’d finish and I don’t think I will anyway at this point.” The owner stroked his mustache and said “You know if I give you $35/hr you’ll be making more than my yard manager. Last chance.” Ulla thanked him and he walked off talking to himself. When Ulla told me about her day that night on Thalia, my initial response was to choke some sense into her, but as she explained she’d given her word to the Broward owners and that was worth more than money. How can you argue with someone’s personal integrity? But lord 2-3 mths at $35/hr, buys a lot of rum.

If I’m lyin’…