Well - The gales (90 mph), the wet, the cold are gone - still a bit cold though ! Kammy and myself are getting over the flue,coughs and colds during the past 2 weeks - YES - not quite the "Merry Xmas" we hoped for!

Anyway - we are up and running again,.....however, STILL moving stuff around to make room for the Dr.Who Experience and Elenas' visitor portacabins.Dr. Who is DEF off my Xmas card list!! LOL !!

Here we have Kammy on the first day of less than 99% humidity and gales applying tye first few coats of varnish to our mahogany clad wheelhouse . look real good now. It was STILL mighty cold up on deck!!

First mock up of water/fuel/battery levels - wiring done by Kammy.

Here we have the first layer of constructional mahogany vaneer on the wheelhouse.Quite a fiddly job and lots of clamps. This will transform the wheelhouse and once varnished the windscreen and side windows will be fitted.

THEN we can start on the "dashboard" for the sailing instruments,compass,radar display,etc.

Plastic pipr for the various wires within the mast finally being fitted .

Can't believe I'm actually drilling a HOLE in the side!

Kammy the with his turn as the cook.

Spiders are all very well - but the legs get stuck between your teeth !!

"Skippy" ,Dylan, "Kammy" and "Snowy"

Ah - the varnishing - makes it all worth while !!

Accentuates the designer Alan pape of his amazing sheer line of the boat.

Hers we hqave some pics of Scotty (New Zealand) and his masterpiece coming togfether very nicely!

From the assembly qand fitting of the diferent teak pieces that were machined shaped,laminated ,glued and attached to the steel cap rail of the boat - right through to the final sanding and then -.......the varnishing that brought it all to life.

Great job !

Scotty !

Here's our "Koncentrating Kiwi" - Scotty, hard at a crossword.

Main Mast sides

the aft stave and corners glued in place.

"Skippy" (!!!) tightening down one of the 65 pairs of clamps.

Top spacers,keeping the side staves in place while they are clamped securely at the bottom.

ALL done - now a day for the glue to cure.

This shows the aft staves and corners glues and the top spacers ready for the sides to be glued and put in place - then clamped.


No pics of the glueing process...........no spare hands available!!

Main Mast

Here we have a happy kiwi and crew drudging through tightening the 65 sets of clamps holding the aft timber and corners in place while the glue sets.We had 60 minutes before the glue started to harden.......NO MISTAKES........HESITATIONS.....COCK UPS ..........we..... DID IT !!

the galley

here's the galley coming along nicely,mug and glass holders made by Alex out of soild Teak.

Hob in place, touch controlled - wonderful!,sink in place - hot'n'cold running water and some "squeezy" for the all important dish washing!!

Cupboard frames for the left and right to be made places for the coffee,tea etc in front.

Must find room for the wheatabix!
Oven (Kams' "Owen" ! ) and the fridge soon.