Saturday, April 2, 2011

Countertops, floors, and the thrill of progress

Travis used templates to cut out countertop for Me Voy
The wait was finally over. The floor has dried and Travis was able to get started on the countertops. We chose bamboo for the countertop material. The product is called Plyboo. Its a three layer laminate of horizantal grain bamboo. I love love love it. Its durable yet lightweight, and its bamboo, which means its a renewable resource which can be grown ecologically.


Before I knew it the countertop pieces were cut and we were hauling them to Me Voy to see it they fit.
They fit!
Plyboo comes in a variety of colors from natural, which you see here,  to a darker tan to a striped variety resembling tiger wood. I love the look of the natural bamboo, especially next to the darker mahogany. It brings some much needed light to our galley.

An old paw at boatwork, Chopper isn't celebrating just yet.
I was amazed how fast Travis cut out the countertops and how well they fit. The key to this was making good templates which he did the previous day, spending four hours templating all the surfaces. He used strips of luan and hot glue to mock the final shapes of the countertop, taking into account the size of the companionway and matching the sections of the countertop in such a way that the grain of the bamboo would match and the pieces would fit thru the "doorway". Quite a thinkpiece this was that he made look too easy!

There is still much to do to properly fit in the countertops. Chopper understands this and is taking notes.
Ah the places these feet have seen!
This was the first time in months that Chopper was allowed back onto Me Voy. He couldn't believe it was the same boat, and had to sniff every corner, nook, and open cabinet  there was. It was hard to get a good picture as mostly he was a white ball of curiosity.

The refinished floors were so clean and shiny I had trouble believing it was the same boat. Only one more coat to go!
Chopper admires new overhead
Chopper was very impressed with the newly painted overhead, so white and shiny! Another example of a Bilgekote application . I love that paint.

Overhead painted with Bilgekote

Disappointed that we didn't come to play Ball, Chopper finally laid down and took it all in. I was right there with him. Ahhh the thrill of progress!

6 comments:

Skylark said...

Wow, looks great. Was thinking of doing bamboo on the counter tops in Skylark...I think you convinced me. :) By the way, what's the eventual plan...will you sell Tara when Mey Voy is done, destinations in mind, timing?

Jim and Heather on Meerkat said...

You two just amaze me...! I am going to look Plyboo up. We need lightweight and something other than this crap we have now. Yay on the renewable too!

judith said...

Awesome!!!

Travis and Maggie said...

Hi Skylark. We get asked this all the time, and our current best answer is the journey IS the destination. That being said, we do plan to put Tara up for sale this summer, and what happens there will determine what we do for the winter.

Heather and Jomamma- double yay on the renewable and awesome!

Travis and Maggie said...

BTW Travis pointed out a couple of corrections. The floor of a boat is not called floor but sole ( a big sigh here for all the weird boat terms that don't make any sense). The overhead was not painted with Bilgekote but interlux enamel, and there are not one but three more coats of urethane that are going to be put on the sole. Glad that's in the wake (that means behind us in regular talk ;))

Mid-Life Cruising! said...

I bet ya'll are thrilled! Me Voy is looking gorgeous and I love the bamboo counters not to mention the warm and shiny floors. She's going to be a beauty and a pleasure to live in! Looks like Chopper has trained you both well! BTW, I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets "corrected" on my terminology and info I put on our blog! =)