Added another LED

[ngavdba]

I like symmetry so I added another LED to my boat. Very easy to install although I don't really like taking a sharp drill bit to my Supra. It took me 20 min. start to finish. Wiring is a snap with the Vision X system. Both are Vision X SubAqua flood units. Quick snap connectors make male to female installation a breeze. Hard to see how it will look in the lake right now although I'm weeks away from going. I got her torn apart trying to bring the teak up to par and fixing the broken swim deck.


Right one is new. Both holes drilled just inside the stringers through the back access.



Tried to polish the wake plate so they will reflect more.

[Jetlink]

Hope the floor did not get too messy from all that work...

[ngavdba]

Jetlink...Didn't get it too messy from the light install, but blew it up when I sanded all the teak this weekend. Finally getting around to restoring my teak and got the chance to start sanding and prepping after years of neglect. Typically you don't sand teak but I felt it needed it as it was getting really rough grain.
The Rider, for those of you who care, has 50 different pieces of teak on in. 56 if you count the vent on the engine cover as separate pieces. About 150 screws to take it all apart.
Now I know why everyone else has taken it off.

So far on the swim platform, I used Starbrite Teak Cleaner, Brightener (2x) and 1 coat of Oil. Will oil again tomorrow evening.
I have two broken pieces on the end of the platform so I have taken that apart and will be cutting new pieces. I went ahead with the rest and this gives us the comparison in the pics.
I will be using Cetol Natural Teak on anything above the waterline (which is everything else) as it should last longer than the oil. 3 coats go on with 24 hr. dry time in-between. I hope to goodness it looks good for all the time and effort.


Big difference in the color tones. Right side has broken piece.

Left side has fracture in teak.

Close up view.

sanded vs. oiled vs. ugly.

[chrisk]

Great looking projects, I'm about to tackle all of my teak this weekend...

[sybrmike]

Defininetly like the second light. The wood's looking good. I love the look of teak, but wow that really has me thankful I've only got 5 pieces left in mine. Let us know how the Cetol works out on the teak. My folks used Cetol on the lap & gap cedar exterior of their house & it's held up real well.

Just a suggestion for oiling teak - I used a technique on my platform that I saw posted on here years ago that's supposed to make it last a long time between oilings.
First coat of 75% turnpentine, 25% oil, let dry for 2 days, then repeat with 50/50, 25/75, and finally 100% oil.

Too early to tell how much longer it'll hold up compared to just oiling, but supposed to really drive the oil down into the wood. My old platform looked like yours & really soaked it up. Looks great & really hardened up the wood. Feels like my platform is 2x as heavy as before.

[ngavdba]

Thanks Chrisk and Sybermike.
I too love the teak. I sense that my impatience has caught up with me though. In my rush to re-do the upholstery and get this boat back on the water, I regret the decision I made. I should of investigated other upholsterers first and then omitted the teak from the upholstery areas just leaving the teak on the Gelcoat. I figure if I get 5 to 7 seasons on this new upholstery I will be lucky. I'm heading into season three with fingers crossed. Sometimes you make a bad decision and you just have to live with it. On the plus side, I've had a blast the last two seasons enjoying it with my entire family.

Sybermike, that is a technique that I am not aware of for oiling the teak. I would have tried it as I'm all in for prolonging teak oilings as you can see. Maybe in another ten years I can try that. I haven't said the word turpentine in a long time so thanks for that.
I did oil the deck again for a second and third time. Used an entire bottle as I just poured it on and then let soak in. Then I wiped it off, stood it up on end to drain, and let dry. Looks great but I would prefer more shine.

The Cetol is a work in progress. Should have some pics up this weekend of continued progress.

[Jetlink]

I also changed over my trailer to all LEDs and re-wired and cleaned what I could. Such an awesome look and feeling now that my trailer lights are low/no maintenance.

[haugy]

Dang son. The new underwater lights look great!!!

Good job on the LED trailer lights, I always swap my trailers over to them, so worth it knowing the wiring is good and the lights are bright. (I'm a safety nut)

Teak looks great too. I'm going to try to Teak mine this weak per your instructions. I can't wait to see how it comes out. It's getting very dry and needs some oil.

[Dandamanf15]

Ngavdba -

Wow... Your boat is truly a sight to behold. Everything is so perfect! I'd say the hours spent on the teak were well worth it. I'm sure you're quite proud of how it looks after so many years. Keep up the good work!

[ngavdba]

Ngavdba -

Wow... Your boat is truly a sight to behold. Everything is so perfect! I'd say the hours spent on the teak were well worth it. I'm sure you're quite proud of how it looks after so many years. Keep up the good work!

Thanks so much. Thanks to all you guys. The majority of responses have been overwhelming. I didn't think it would be such a transformation, but I get stopped everywhere I go. My neighbors stop me as I pull out of the driveway. I can't fill up at the gas station without someone approaching. (4 times now!) At the boat ramp, I have been stopped by 3 guys three different times wanting to look at it.
I hate to tell this story but I will. My wife and I were out last evening (see current July pics) and cruising around when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a guy trying to flag me down. It is a rule for me to always stop and help without question, but I just wasn't in the mood as time was short and and who knows what boat ramp I would have to pull him to.
I drove past and he kept waving and yelling. My wife asked if I was going to help. "You have to go over there, he may have a serious injury!"
I said, "Yes, just not in the mood." I turned the wheel towards his direction and pulled up alongside this guy swimming with his wife. I asked if everything was alright and he said, "Oh yes, I just heard you coming down the lake and then saw it was an old Rider." He continued, " I've owned 5 Supras and could tell immediately what this boat was." I've owned Sunsports, Mariahs, and currently have a Launch." We began a conversation that lasted maybe 10 minutes talking shop about Supras. After quite a few compliments, we took off headed for the cove. My wife was laughing hysterically while shaking her head saying, "To think you didn't want to stop to help and all the guy did was praise your boat." "You won't be able to wipe that smile off your face for a week."
All I could reply was "But I did stop."