Restoring a boat Father built

[Blackdog]

I have benn having someone restore the boat my Father built and a I heard about a product for sealing the deck. I have had a hard time locating the stuff. A friend of mine used it in 1996 but the company that imported it is no longer in business-the name of the company was Wichard, Inc. in Simsbury, CT. The product was called TBS nonskid and I believe it was made by a French company.

Has anyone heard of this stuff?

Thanks.

[Dave Carnell]

I was born and raised in Simsbury, CT, many years ago.

Wichard was a hardware company into fancy moutaineering gear, etc. I had some correspondence with them a year or so ago. They were located in what was South School when I was a kid.

A product such as you describe sounds more like something that would be handled by Ensign-Bickford Co., or a subsidiary such as Darworth (Cuprinol). They came to Simsbury from England to make safety fuse for the extensive mining industry in CT in revolutionary days, including the copper mine that became Old Newgate prison. I would try contacting E-B Co.

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by Blackdog:
...I heard about a product for sealing the deck. I have had a hard time locating the stuff. A friend of mine used it in 1996 but the company that imported it is no longer in business-the name of the company was Wichard, Inc. in Simsbury, CT...

Well, Wichard is still around. They haven't gone anywhere. But they've never been from Connecticut. They're headquartered in Thiers, France. You can visit Wichard at

http://www.wichard.com/images/adresse.gif (http://www.wichard.com)

Their United States distributer is in Simsbury, Connecticut, though:

U.S.A. (agent)
WICHARD INC
507 Hopmeadow street
SIMSBURY, CT 06070
(860) 658-2201
http://www.wichard-usa.com

and hasn't gone anywhere. But I doubt very much that Wichard sells (or ever has sold) nonskid deck coverings. Wichard specializes in precision forgings for the marine, medical, automobile and aeronautical fields.

I do highly recommend their combination shackle/church key (http://www.wichard.com/catalogue/catalogue_en.php?FAMILLE=12.0&SSFAMILLE1=4.0&SSFAMILLE2=1.0&SSFAMILLE3=1.0), though. Two of the most useful keys on a boat, in my opinion.

[This message has been edited by nicholasc (edited 09-10-2001).]

[This message has been edited by nicholasc (edited 09-10-2001).]