Topic Overview: This post contrasts the dramatic impact of the DANA storm that flooded Valencia with the relentless, detailed work of a boat refit. We cover the importance of adapting to extreme weather, showcase ongoing projects like door finishing and CAD modeling, and provide a step-by-step guide to professionally wrapping a carbon steering wheel.
Author: Anna & Shayne
Life on a boat, whether cruising or in refit, is defined by adapting to the environment. Rarely has that been more stark than this past week in Valencia, where our focused world of epoxy, carbon fiber, and 3D printing was set against the backdrop of a natural disaster.
A DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), a cut-off low weather system, parked itself over our region, unleashing historic rainfall and catastrophic flash floods. While our priority, like everyone’s, was safety, the work on Paikea presses on. This is a look at that juxtaposition.
The Event: Documenting the DANA’s Impact
The footage we captured was both awe-inspiring and sobering. The forces at work were immense:
- Marina Flooding: Docks were submerged, turning familiar walkways into rivers and trapping boats in a soup of debris and muddy water.
- Urban Devastation: The streets of Valencia, typically vibrant and dry, were transformed into raging torrents, sweeping away cars and devastating infrastructure.
- The Aftermath: Our commute to the workshop became a journey through a disaster zone, navigating detours around recovered vehicles and witnessing the immense clean-up effort undertaken by emergency services.
This event served as a powerful reminder of the raw power of nature that all sailors must ultimately respect and prepare for.
The Work: Progress Amidst the Chaos
Despite the external chaos, the methodical, practical work of the refit continues. It’s a testament to the focus required to see a complex project through to completion.
- Finishing the Aft Cabin Door: With the carbon fiber door frame fitted last week, Shayne moved to the finishing stage. The door was meticulously sanded, cleaned with acetone, and “flow-coated” with a clear coat to create a durable, sealable surface ready for soundproofing and insulation.
- Solving Problems with 3D Printing: A collapsing yogurt container used as a vacuum cleaner attachment was hardly a critical failure, but it’s a perfect example of the daily problems we solve. The solution? Designing and 3D printing a custom, rigid bucket adapter—a small but satisfying victory in practicality.
- High-Level Engineering in Parallel: Away from the workshop bench, Shayne’s work for SYAS Performance continues. This involves creating precise CAD models and shipping cradle drawings for a client’s yacht, a critical and highly technical task to ensure safe transport. Additionally, dynamic rigging plans are being updated to “as-built” specifications, ensuring that every new cable and component is ordered to the exact, correct length.
Skill Share: How to Wrap a Carbon Steering Wheel
One of the highlights this week was a deep dive into a finishing touch loved by racing crews: wrapping a carbon fiber steering wheel with EVA foam.
Why do it? A foam wrap provides a much more comfortable, grippy, and warm handhold during long steering sessions than bare carbon.
The Process, Summarized:
- Preparation: Clean the wheel thoroughly with acetone. Mark a center line around the inside and outside of the wheel rim.
- Foam Prep: Use UV-resistant EVA foam. Sand a 45-degree bevel on one edge of the foam strip to create a seamless joint. Mark its center line.
- Adhesive: Apply contact cement to both the wheel (following your guidelines) and the foam. Allow it to become tacky.
- Application: Carefully align the center line of the foam with the center line on the wheel. Press it down, working from the center outwards to eliminate air bubbles. A little heat from a hairdryer can help with conformity.
- Trimming & Finishing: Use a sharp craft knife to trim the foam around the spokes and overlap on the inside. A final sand with a block creates a perfect, professional-feeling finish.
This simple upgrade makes a dramatic difference in comfort and usability.
Conclusion
The DANA storm was a forceful intermission, a display of nature’s power that commands respect. But for liveaboard sailors and marine professionals, the work is a constant. It’s a blend of grand-scale engineering, hands-on composite work, and solving the smallest of practical problems—all continuing unabated, come hell or high water.