For so long, our to-do list has been nothing but essentials, so it feels especially satisfying to finally get round to a job that was not all that urgent, only unsightly. The steering wheel was one of those jobs. It still worked perfectly well, it got us to some beautiful places, so it was easy to leave for another day.
But now that we were having critical work done and we had nowhere to go for a while and no need to steer, the wheel came off for a full strip-down. Patrick removed all the pitted, tired chrome and sent it away for re-chroming. The wheel itself was sanded back and given several coats of varnish, which brought the timber back to life. With the wheel removed, I also took the opportunity to sand down the wooden panels behind it and give those a few coats of varnish too — one of those jobs you can never do properly unless you have complete access.
Now that it is back together, we can see just how much difference it has made. The wheel has real character again: the traditional ship’s-wheel shape, the turned wooden spokes, the handholds and the gleaming metal rim all stand out once more, while the polished centre catches the light beautifully. Instead of looking tired and simply functional, it has become the focal point of the helm.
When the chrome came back, the wheel was reassembled, and now we only wish we had done it earlier. Still, good things do come in their own time. As for that long list… tick.
