Sail Life - Rotten deck core on a Warrior 38 - DIY sailboat restoration

In this video, I remove part of the deck aboard my Warrior 38 sailboat to reveal a completely rotten core. That's okay, DIY sailboat restoration is a lot of fun!

[doug]

You are the most positive person on the planet.

[peteralund]

Oh the glory of revisiting old episodes and listening to you thinking you want to save the curve

[velascobruce]

Ugh, all of these negative comments about wasting your money. DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!!!! You've made it clear millions of times (well maybe not quite that many) that you enjoy doing all of this work. What I love about this channel is that it isn't just about the end game, it is about the adventure getting there. Keep up the absolutely fantastic work and for what it is worth I would watch the videos each week even if they were twice as long. In fact, can you please make your videos twice as long?

[SenatorPerry]

My dad gave me this...

Imagine that you have a wonderful piece of candy in your pocket. You know it is there and it is in your mind that you want to enjoy that piece of candy. Well, finally the time comes and you go to open the piece of candy. While unwrapping the candy you accidentally drop it on the floor.

There are many individuals that would toss the candy away and just get another piece. Then there are others that will pick up that Warrior 38, knock off whatever bits of trash are on it, and consume it for what it is worth enjoying it just the same as had it not fallen on the ground.

And that was when I learned not to take pieces of candy from my dad.

Thanks for the video. Great stuff.

[jamesk]

Interesting to read the comments of the obvious non-sailboat people (Including one masquerading as a marine engineer. Or maybe he is a real marine engineer who sits at a computer all day and doesn't know a damn thing about a real boat.) They believe that all of these common boat restoration problems are lethal catastrophes.Loving the project Mads.These nay-sayers need a dose of the real world where real men and women make plans and create the life they dream instead of sniveling about imperfection and giving up. I hear them now. "Oh the agony! The deck has a soft spot! Now I have to work instead of having a flight of angels deliver unto me a perfect yacht. Fetch me a cocktail and a xanax while i weep!" I hope they don't get a hangnail and have to be euthanized. I recommend for them a day sailing and enjoying the beauty of nature. Fair winds, James K

[chrisbamford]

My opinion, if you can afford it.
Start fresh with new core. Know there is nothing hiding under your feet waiting to catch you out.
(collapse, and make you want to tear your ears off - or pull your hair out - whatever)

Of course, this from someone who, currently, finds it an achievement to get out of bed when I don't need to work.

Kudos Mads. really enjoy your videos.

[tridentlife]

Hi Mads,
Once you opened the forward deck, you might as well construct a hatch for the chain locker below. This will ease things when your cruising life begins...
Greetings from Denmark,
Christian

[joshuamccarthy]

I watched a lot of your videos love your modesty

[russellbrander]

More power to you. The labor is just crazy. Better you than me.

[paulhuggins]

You should consider renaming your boat, "Legend" because you are fast becoming one on YouTube and most certainly will be one by the time you launch.
I'm like many who eagerly await your weekly uploads. The deck work will be most informative.

[kencarter]

I'm starting to think that you picked out the best/worse sail boat you could find just to have something to do. It's a good thing that you are the most talented DYI person I've seen so far. Keep up the great work.

[nssdesigns]

I'm guessing this is like Goudis Sagrada Família, will it ever be finished? You amaze me with your calmness, I would have lost my mind by now. Having said that this is obviously now a way of life and it'll look great when it's done. 10+ points for keeping calm. I think there's a lesson here for us all who face difficulties.

[patrickphilips]

Mads, maybe you should use straps across the deck from toe rail to toe rail to keep the shape of the boat. Also possibly get some long pipes or 4x4s to use as supports from the ground up to deck height to support your make shift scaffolding to sit on and work. I think the best is to keep your weight entirely off the deck while your removing the core. Just suggestions. I find your videos so very fascinating. thank you for sharing.

[gregsargentuk]

Mads you are a brave man! I can't help but feel it would have been less effort to build a brand new boat from scratch! Amazing effort and she is going to be a beaut once you're finished with her!

[tomharrell]

Hi sailor, Try an Allen wrench in a drill to remove the core. Put the Allen tool long end in the drill. Spin the short end to whack the core loose. It Works well.

The pros build a walkway around the boat to enable them to work from the side and 2 to 3 feet towards the middle. Use scaffolding around the boat with boards across the scaffolds for the walkway. The bridge you made could be used for areas out of reach. This should allow all of the job to be done in one cycle.

I Enjoy your videos a lot. I wish you continued success.

[svbarryduckworth]

The more I watch the more I am impressed with your skills, and even more your stellar attitude. I've seen most of the re-core project, a good portion of the earlier stuff, and have been following everything the last few months so I know the "spoilers." But watching you dip your toe into this massive job and observing your reaction to the scope of the deck repair ballooning massively, I am nothing short of astonished at your can-do reaction and calmness accepting the mantle of this behemoth undertaking. Bravo! You deserve to win the internets, , and the prize for the best DIY sailing vlog ever.

You are a master at DIY. You can easily figure it out as you go, which in my estimation is worth a ton of "old knowledge" in specific maintenance tasks. Anyone can do the same thing over and over again. You adapt and learn, listening to experts and Internet know-it-alls alike to synthesize your own plan that works. Your end results speak for themselves. You very much deserve and have earned the fruits of your labor. Athena will be better than new eventually, and you'll be the master of her knowing every square centimeter, confident that every part will be top-notch once you are done with this refit and will be able to maintain her that way with little effort going forward.

[JoelWelter]

Great video! I honestly believe you enjoy the repair work more than the sailing, and you are great at doing it! When you finally shove off for distant shores, you should bring all your tools and work your way around the globe fixing boats for other travelers (especially the tech side of things). Keep the videos coming and I'm glad you got this "project" boat for the rest of us to learn the DIY for sailboat refinishing.

[qdog]

17 minutes Mads!! I can live with it. Good luck with the deck.

[oceanbound]

I was hanging out with my friend Eric this weekend in Austin and found out that you have been sailing with him aboard his Beneteau on Lake Travis. VERY COOL. You have a big following and I look forward to your episodes each week. Thanks.

[daleyurk]

Mads, you sure look and sound calm in the face of a LOT of freaking work! But in the end, as you're beating into 6 foot seas, you can take comfort knowing the new deck will shed the water. Very enjoyable video!