229 days
Saffa and Skippy have payed the seams now (filled them with red lead putty), and undercoat has been put on by Meg and Mog. Next week we'll finish the undercoating and start laying on the topcoat as we hurtle through the last few weeks to launch day ! Yes, the crane and the low-loader have been booked. And the big day is Thursday 5th August. On Monday 2nd the roof of the shed will be removed allowing Holly Mae to be lifted straight up.
Before that, there is still plenty to do. In the last couple of weeks I have shaped the boom and the bowsprit. They still have to be fitted with reefing combs and the necessary ironwork. And of course have many coats of varnish.
The rudder hangings arrived back from the foundry and machine shop.......... well some of them did anyway. Due to a misunderstanding the foundry cast only two pairs instead of three. Hopefully the others will follow very soon. Barnaby has hung the rudder and we have been able to take measurements and design the tiller.
Meanwhile inside Mark has been fitting the engine and getting on with the plumbing, both of which are nearly finished. The metalwork is progressing in batches. Each week I visit Richard, the blacksmith, to give him more drawings, collect last weeks bits, and take them on for shot blasting and galvanising. The first batch returned from the galvanisers on Friday. That was chainplates, and deadeye bands. But we can't fit these to the boat until the painting has been finished.
Saffa has fitted all the portholes and Dan is back for a couple of hours each afternoon to put coat after coat of varnish on the companionway and cockpit. These are beginning to get a bit shiney !
Now that we have a date to work towards we have divided the remaining jobs into; those which must be done before launch and those that could be done after. When she's in the water there'll still be quite a bit to do before we can go sailing.
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