57-043 Kairos - Refit

Dear All,

As mentioned in previous posts we decided to keep Kairos, our Swan 57, on the dry in 2021 due to the ever-changing travel restrictions making it very difficult to plan the season.

Now, what do you do when you can’t sail and therefore have time to think (too much)? You come up with some non-rational, crazy ideas … in our case we asked our yard to provide a very rough indication for a new teak deck ‘just for information’ in February 2021… it arrived very much as a fully detailed quote.

When we bought Kairos in 2017 we knew we had some leakage issues with our aging teak deck leading to water damage below deck. These were successfully addressed and we would have probably been ok for another few years but on the other hand it appeared a too good opportunity to miss since the season was already ‘over’ anyway. And after all, the earlier you do them the longer you can enjoy them, right?

The problem - when the deck is new, the hull will look even more tired than before …the same with the cockpit, coamings and coach house … what about the grinder pedestals? And the steering column? … and ‘while we are at it’ – what about …?

One item led to another and to make the most of the ‘downtime’ we ended up commissioning our yard with some larger work items that, while not immediately urgent yet, were on our to-do list for the next few years anyway.

This is a summary of what happened, which I hope you will find interesting.

We eventually managed to stop expanding our wish-list in the end and tasked the yard with the following key works:

- new teak deck, all  planks laid and glued individually, 12 mm thick, 42 mm wide

- painting of hull ('Flag Blue'), water line ('Snow White') and deck areas, coach house, cockpit etc. ('Off White') with Alexseal two-component paint

- sandblasting, powder coating and painting of grinder pedestals & steering column

- re-instatement of the after companionway that had been replaced with a Lewmar hatch by a previous owner

While the works are not quite completed yet I finally found the time to select some (too many, probably - sorry!) photos and share the approach with the Forum, following the good example set by Yves/Algol 5! 2021 seems to have been the year to refurbish your 57 😊

Hopefully the pictures and subtitles are sufficiently detailed but please don't hesitate to ask any questions.

I'll try to provide updates on the further progress in a more timely fashion (I hope).

Fair winds,

Stefan

Kairos - 57/043

The existing deck had been replaced around 2000, we think

Would have lasted another few years

After companionway having been closed off with a Lewmar hatch

We had some known issues with the current teak deck, which we believe was replaced around 2022

Namely, it was leaking through into the compartment walls amidship

This was due to a broken fish that had become lose; alsop, the chalking was badly worn and detached at several places

Water damage below t

Found the culprit and replaced broken fish planks

Also re-chalked worn areas across the whole deck in 2018

We had the chalking replaced where it was bad, and also had some work done around the puttings in the following years 2018/19

At that time the yard already had some suspisions about how well the current deck was still attached to the substrate below ...

Plan was to keep patching up until a new deck would be required one day ...

Chalking was very lose in places

Also had some slight leakage around the puttings that was addressed

Slightly sanded and re-chalked deck after the patch-ups - looked good

So in March 2021 we went ahead with a new teak deck.

Our yard went to select the teak right away; turned out to be very good timing as virtually a month later Burma teak was on the embargo list and stocks cannot be replenished...

Start of the removal of the deck fittings

Cockpit floor removed

Grinder pedastal

So off went the old deck.

Turned out that it was laid as prefabricated sections that were glued on a base layer, which was then glued onto the subtrate of the deck. Not a problem if it's properly down with adequate vacuum etc. but by the looks of it, it didn't work well for Kairos.

There were plenty of areas where there was inadeuate adhesion and air pockets; any water ingress was able to travel almost freely betwee the base layer and the substrate deck ...

As expected, the bonding of the old deck wasn't good

Air pockets and inadequate adhesion everywhere

Not a pretty sight but progress

After the removal of the old teak deck, the substrate was sanded extensively to remove the old adhesive.

To ensure water-tightness and also to provide a good base for the new deck, the substrate deck was then laminated over

Old deck rempoval almost complete

Newly laminated deck base, after a lot of sanding

Grinder pedastal and steering column on their way to blasting & powder coating

And finally - on with the new deck!

New teak planks being prepared / glued together

New planks

New deck coming together

Coming togehter nicely

After

Weighed down with lead the old fashioned way

Almost there

Let the chalking begin ...

Cockpit teak planks were prepared in the workshop

Finally the chalking and sanding could commence and for the first time we were able to see the new deck 'fully'

Newly chalked

Sanded and new

Looking very pretty

Most woodwork surounding the hatchses was also replaced and two new prisms purchased for the forward heads.

Good result throughout

New hatch-surrounds

New prisms with surrounds

Once the deck was completed, the painting comenced.

First the coach house, coamings and cockpit together with other deck components such as the boxes of the Dorade vents were primed

Cockpit primed

Coach house primed

Deck components & steering column primed

Final painting was completed toghether with the reinstatement of the rear companionway.

For the latter a new sliding hatch and boards were manufactured similar to the design of the main companionway.

The rear companionway will not have a key but bolts from the inside only.

Finished coachhouse and cockpit

Coamings looking very shiny ...

... and so does our new after companionway

Next was the preparation and painting of the hull.

Prepairing the hull for painting

It always looks so much worse before it eventually looks better

Very shiny!

Painting etc. is now complete and the deck fittings are being reinstalled.

We have also refurbshed the Neco 692 autopilot with the kind support of Daniel Fua, which I will cover in a separate thread.

Plan is for Kairos to be back in the water in early April with the first trip scheduled for after Easter.

Fair winds!

Stefan

Kairos - 57-043

With name etc back on

While the deck fittings are being installed

Still some way to go but getting there

Superb work and superb result Stefan,

thanks for sharing, it is important and a big help to share together our experiences !

Congrats !

Yves / Algol - 57 007

Thank you Yves!

Kairos is now back in the water, looking much tidier already! Mast and still some items from the punch list under deck but all on track for the first trip after Easter - fingers crossed!

Fair winds

Stefan

Kairos - 57/043

Whole-length teak planks

Dear All,

we have just completed our first short trip on Kairos after she's been on the dry for over 1.5 years ... sailed from Hamburg (GER) to Ebeltoft (DK) after Easter and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Kairos looks lovely after the refit and except for a few (expected) 'toothing issues' after such a long time and some leakage around a hatch, which will be addressed soon, everything worked a treat.

A few impressions below, can't wait to sail to Bodoe (N) later in the year!

Fair winds and a good 2022 season,

Stefan

Kairos - 57/043

View forward from the cockpit

Refurbished/painted floor boards below

Moored in Ebeltoft near the Fregatten Jylland

Fairwinds Stefan !

Kairos looks great !!!

Yves

Dear Stefan,

congratulation, and as I wrote in a post for Yves, we "...want..." to see pics of even Kairos under sail!

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)