Spars, Rigging, And Sails - Tayana 37 Operation & Maintenance Manual

saw dust and loose dirt; then use a damp cloth (no soap) and get all of the residual
fine dust; follow this with a solvent wash to eliminate any excessive surface oils;
then spread on the wax according to manufacturer's directions. Any of the light
furniture waxes can be used for this application. Some people have had excellent
results using bowling alley wax. This wax, which takes a longer time to apply, but
it is tougher than most liquid waxes and requires less maintenance. If you want
your interior teak to be a little darker and to take on the patina of fine furniture,
one can use oils rather than wax. Cleaning should be accomplished as described
above and then the wood should be covered with lemon oil or such commercial
products as Liquid Gold or "Sheila Shine". The latter two products have an oil
base which soaks into the surface of the wood and a wax which fuses to the
surface and provides a protective coating. The oil does darken the wood
somewhat. If your yacht has a varnished interior, you will find that maintenance
is much like keeping furniture looking nice. You will clean the surface with water
and mild soap solutions and "dust" using one of the many dusting products
available at the local supermarket.
The sole merits special consideration. Obviously one cannot use ordinary waxes--
they would ruin footing. If the sole is left natural it should be cleaned as described
above and covered with Liquid 601d or Sheila Shine. These products protect the
surface but do not seem to leave the sole slippery when wet. If the sole is
varnished with a satin coating it will be a little more slippery but may be all right.
If it is too slippery when wet, it can be coated with polyurethane--this product is
not at all slippery when wet. The directions for preparing the surface should be
followed religiously as polyurethane is generally not compatible with other types
of varnish.
Bronze presents a special cleaning problem. Ordinary metal cleaners will not
clean or polish bronze. Brass cleaners, for example, will not touch the green
corrosion that disfigures bronze ports. The best product we have found is Amway
metal cleaner. The Amway is an excellent general metal and bronze cleaner to
have aboard for both interior and exterior use. In the case of bronze, once the
metal is cleaned and polished, it should be coated with a spray wax such as the
Amway colorless shoe polish.
D. SPARS, RIGGING, AND SAILS
The primary means of propulsion is the sailing rig, yet it is sometimes the most
neglected. This is probably because it is very reliable and because most people
believe they have an intuitive understanding of it and neglect it through misplaced
familiarity. However, maintenance is vital. Failure of your rig can be far more
catastrophic than engine failure—one doesn't merely lose power; he may sustain
damage to the yacht and injury to personnel.
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