money

ok, I admit it, I'm Dutch and like to sit on my money. Boatbuilding is the opposite, so I still wonder how I got myself involved in this. Despite all our good intentions, yes, the way to hell is paved with these, we have gone over budget and just got a mail describing how much more we will be over budget...

Yikes, panic, major panic. Normal people could ask a boat builder that they could put the project on hold for a few months, but for us it is impossible. We have no extra funds to pay for the storage and they have been pushing this project since they have another one coming up and need the space.

The major complaint for holdup is the lack of drawings from the designer and from the designer you get the answer that he has never received emails from the builder. In between we try to come with solutions to problems, but how should I know how to attach the deck to the hull...

All I want in this stage that this nightmare is over. Euhh, if somebody has some lose money, let me know, since we really need it.

Woopie

Wow, visited the yard today and you see it progressing with every visit. They have laminated extra stringers in on the floor and all the standing parts of the interior are being busy laminated in.

they had to make adjustments to the height of the kitchen worktops, I know, no comments please and we discussed the layout of the kitchen. The builders have a number of problems issues they desperately need the advice of Tad for, like the wood capping on the deck, but the work is going quick.

The hull will be finely sanded one last time before they will put the top coat on, but that will be done as one of the last things. Up to us is now to put in some more money, get the fuel tanks ready, get the hardened glass and paint ordered and chase up Tad for solutions. Well, sounds easy enough.

Cheers, Nix

things I've never thought of

Ok, did I mention that this boat building thing is really like another dimension? It seemed like it took forever to do the hull (hmm wait, it did take forever!) but now the builders are going for a medal in the sprint races.

Peter was at the yard yesterday and they've been busy with epoxy etc on the inside and reinforcing the bulkheads. As well they want to start next week on the stringers for the floor and the two further interior bulkheads that need to be placed. We're worried about the hours and the cost, but hey, that feeling is not new anymore.

We agreed with the builder that we want him to do the bulkheads, stringers, tanks and floors and then close the boat. We really want to avoid having a nice interior, but no funds to pay for the glass to close up. I'd rather then camp a bit primitive for the first few months. Besides, the moment we can stop renting a house, we can already spent that money on things for the boat.

There is no doubt in my mind that people who will see how we are going to live, will declare us insane on the spot. But in a way it does make sense: we wanted to place a new product on the market here, had not enough funds to buy a second hand boat of our choice and the moment we saw the design, felt that this was the sort of boat we wanted. I still have my negative moments, but now that we've come this far, it all seems more worth the trouble.

At least it is a nice feeling that when we come on the yacht club, we can show pictures of a boat and the progress they've been making.

Cheers