Salt & Tarvideo
Salt & Tar: Ep.341- No Stone Unturned
14 May 2026 · 25 min · 53K views
What this video covers
A George Buehler 35-foot gaff ketch named Red Aviva is four months into a refit aimed at making the boat ready for an ocean crossing.0:35 The primary structural work is Garrett adding a new through-bolt to the keelson in the forepeak — a span he identified as under-fastened — which required removing the fresh-water tank, drilling through the keel with a Forstner bit and a custom plywood jig to countersink the bolt head flush on the keel's slanted face.19:55 The bolt ordered on the last States run proved too short and goes on the relaunch materials list.19:34 Simultaneously, Garrett extracts and replaces all sheathing screws after eight years of service.6:44 The original screws were zinc-and-epoxy-coated deck screws — chosen over hot-dip galvanized because small-diameter hot-dip galvanized screws cost more than silicon bronze, and over bronze to avoid dissimilar-metal galvanic reaction with the hull's galvanized planking fasteners.8:07 After eight years the screws show only surface oxidation on the heads with no material loss, exceeding Garrett's five-year target.6:44 Each replacement screw goes in by hand, rolled in tar, and Ruth plugs the holes with adhesive-grade epoxy to seal the fastener heads.22:09 Ruth meanwhile progresses on fiberglassing the cabin top, using a pre-wet technique on sloped and vertical surfaces after an earlier solo attempt failed.1:18 Zinc-and-epoxy-coated screws in non-structural sacrificial sheathing can outlast their expected service life when coating integrity is maintained and holes are sealed with adhesive epoxy.9:07
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