That'll do Kit!

Time I wrestled back the blog from Kit!! Actually, I think he's a natural blogger, I might let him have another go! Well, I'm back from sauntering around in the Alps (you try sauntering with four small boys in tow)! Lots of progress made on Calypso; all the Harken winches and deck gear fitted, the Selden mast has arrived, Darglow propeller fitted. Boxes of Garmin electronics and Imtra LED lights waiting to be fitted next week by Jamie Marley (no pressure)! The Kebony hand rails are gleaming with Le Tonkinois, and Mikey is beavering away varnishing the rest of the removable woodwork in a container outside, away from any fear of dust. Mikey, a professional varnisher, who has worked on yachts like Velsheda, is a little wary of a product like Le Tonkinois, but he's loving the fact that he has a clear head after a day of varnishing. So far, he's quite impressed. Once he sees the finished product, after three coats, I think he'll be a convert!

The man from Delmonte.........

Finding products which have better environmental credentials yet match the performance of "conventional" products is not always easy. I knew it would be tricky to find a varnish which would come up to Jeremy's high standards - so it was with some trepidation I put a can of Le Tonkinois in front of him to try. This is a linseed based product, with no petroleum based solvents. From what I could see, it looked like a fantastic product, rather like an oil, it soaks into the wood, so there is no need to sand it right back for subsequent coats. It's made by a small French firm in the outskirts of Paris and the raving testimonials all sound too good to be true. But I'm not the one who has been varnishing for a lifetime, so I have been nipping out to check on the progress of the test piece that Jeremy has been varnishing, waiting for the verdict. It seems the answer is YES.