Paint Rust Sant and Steel
The Windjammer Way
September 4, 2025
This chapter begins with Mandalay perched in dry dock looking massive, mighty, reminiscent of a beached whale — and frankly, far from tip-top shape.
Here's the thing about ships: there's a significant quantity of vessel that sits below the waterline, hidden from view. When we finally hauled Mandalay up, we discovered buckled paint, rust streaks the size of dinner tables, dents that tell stories we probably don’t want to hear.
But here's where it gets good.
Two days. That's all it took.
The badass shipyard team unleashed an aggressive exfoliation treatment using industrial-grade pressure blasters loaded with sand grit. After a few days of steady, meticulous work, Mandalay's bones began emerging: pristine, white steel, straight as an arrow, strong as the day she was built.
The distressed, neglected appearance was diminishing before our eyes. Charles couldn't look away.
The crew is cutting out rust-riddled plates and patchwork from old repairs, replacing them with large new steel plates for a stronger, unified hull.
Meanwhile, every inch of the interior shell and plates are being blasted down and painted at a rigorous pace.
When painted in gun metal grey primer to prevent surface rust, Mandalay takes on the look of a modern day Noah's Ark. We can't wait to see her with a fresh coat of white paint and a streak of blue, just like in her glory days:
Hull repairs and exterior repainting in are expected to take 2–3 months, a blink in ship restoration time, though we’re still practicing patience. Next up will be interior refinishing, systems updates, and equipment installations.
Stay tuned for more developments. Something we can all count on with any restoration project is more stages and surprises waiting around every corner!
