saloon berths

127 days

The bulwark strakes have all been fitted and primed. Only the capping rail to go now. We've been offered some nice old South American hardwood for these. Not sure what type it is, but it's been hanging around in Mac and Sally's Cornish garden for the last 20 years so it's proved to be durable and we'll be able to leave it bare, which not only looks nice but saves a lot of work when it comes to routine maintainence in the future.

Down below the saloon is taking shape. Three berths have been built in. On the port side is a settee berth behind which will be a shelf with a couple of lockers and on the starboard is another settee berth with a raised up 'pilot berth' behind . We've spent a lot of time discussing ways to make the settee berths wide enough to be comfortable for sleeping and yet not too wide so that the backrest is too far back for sitting. Various clever mechanisms have been proposed in which the backrest swings up under the shelf or pilot berth to convert from sitting to sleeping. Still not quite sure which it'll be ........................

The three portlights (opening portholes) have been been fitted. Two in the forepeak and one in the heads. Very shiney as you can see from the picture.

The engine beds returned from the galvanisers this week and the prop shaft was delivered and so we're nearly in a position to install the engine. Also we now have the drawings from Matt of the ballast keel. This will be 5.2 tons which we're planning to cast in a plywood mould. The lead will be melted in four or five baths spaced around the mould which will be sunk into a hole in the ground. Dan Harding came around last Sat to weld up fittings to the baths to make them ready. Thanks, Dan.
Now all we need is a spell of settled weather as this is an outside job !!!