May 31, 2008

Random Progress pictures


Lifelines and Stanchions

Lifeline detail


Reefing Lines on cabin top


A cleaned up galley


April 13, 2008

Some random shots of progress on the boat:

a CLEAN Foredeck. Note the obligatory watercolours in the plastic bin and of course the crab trap.



New composite handrails. Much lighter than stainless steel, and lots cooler in hot tropical sun.


:

Head Door - for privacy, and containment of smells when EVAN uses the head



New 12' wide traveller track. It's bolted to a fiberglass channel, and the channel is glued and glassed to the aft beam.


March 21, 2008




Help Identify this mast fitting

This fitting is for the fixed intermediate backstay tang on our mast. It's for a swaged wire end (of some sort - maybe a T, maybe a stem ball?). It's not rod rigging. It sort of looks like Navtec's K200 external stemball tang?


Anyway I want to change the mast fitting to something like a Navtec rope eye below for proper Spectra running backstays. Something with more articulation than this fitting, so I can take the runners aft. Right now this will bind if it's more than a few degrees past mast centerline.



March 8, 2008

Travis 1996-2008

Mexico, Christmas 1996-

In April we added a furry orange creature called Travis to our crew. We got him from a local corner store with way too many cats, dogs, and pet chickens. He managed his first trip to the nearby cruising islands pretty good but I think he was feeling seasick the second day. He is growing big and strong after recovering from malnutrition and other ailments, reaching a startling 15 lbs at 9 months. In response to his varied escapades we dubbed him "Adventure Cat!". As in "Adventure Cat! swims shark infested waters while chasing killer moths!", "Adventure Cat! ripped my flesh!", "Adventure Cat! boldly attacks huge intruders!", "Adventure Cat! defies gravity and climbs aloft on Ceilydh!", "Adventure Cat! traverses hot burning flames while exploring the stove!", "Adventure Cat! laughs (ha ha) at storms while frolicking in the wind and rain and dodging lightning bolts!". Some cats would live peacefully, but Adventure Cat! accepts the challenge and blows through his nine lives with indifference. He is a sailor after all.

Sleep well Adventure Cat.

December 8, 2007

Not just paint, but Names

Today was a super-productive day on the boat with the help of my pal Leighton. He volunteered to go up the mast, rather than winching my overweight butt up there to re-lead some lines.





Here's a few photos of the lettering on the boat, during late afternoon sun on the river.




It's so pretty down here in the late sun shining on the mountains and the river.


October 26, 2007

DONE PAINTING!

It feels pretty good to be able to say that. The cabin is now painted (though I will admit a bit of black paint is going onto the windows to hide the caulking but that can come later...

It looks very nice up close. All shiny and white and glossy.

I've also started interior painting. This chart table has just a coat of primer but it's better than all black carbon fiter.








October 14, 2007



So, in the future, if we say we plan to paint the boat, slap us. Seriously, you have our permission. Painting a 40' catamaran is not easy. We started off with the goal of glossy beauty and have reduced our expectations to a work-boat finish.

I can hear you snorting. I know, you've painted your living room, maybe a bathroom. "How hard can a boat be?" You ask. Well - boats are all curvy, and they have crap all over them, and you can only paint them when the weather is good, and if its not to windy. And even then bugs have a tendency to hurl themselves at the wet paint, and big boats go by just as you hit the tricky bits.
It's hard I say with a long whinge - really hard.

September 15, 2007

We're getting our groove on baby!

You want to stop boat owners in their tracks as they walk past your boat? Just get some tape and some paint and get started.



We've chosen some tasteful yet subtle colours for the graphics:



Evan's question to Diane: "Di did you get a shot of the whole boat with the painted stripes?" "I think so" Evan: "You sure?" We get home and check the camera - no #%^#*& shot of the whole boat. We'll have them up in a day or so, weather permitting (so we can get a second coat of paint on the stripes).

September 6, 2007



The bows are all better, the new crossbeam will be installed soon and the primer and first coat of paint are on the hull.