Unfurling.

Since arrival at Littlehampton, and unless it’s a special occasion (like arriving) our vessels woodwork has mostly remained shrouded in a motley collection of roped down tarps. Not exactly the look I have worked and longed for. The reason for this rather pikey method of weatherproofing was simple; we never quite got the roof finished before our big launch did we?

Obviously I’ve been away lately as well, not in the sense of having gone on holiday to the bahamas, more like repeatedly bashing myself over the head in small private hell, at least I didn’t need to bother to pack my passport I suppose. Anyway- this minor nervous breakdown has thankfully passed, I hope you all enjoyed your choc-ices. Becky has been a really patient woman in gently steering me through the shoals of my latest little episode, as if various other aspects of our life changing forever weren’t enough she had to deal with me throwing a big wobbly too. Enough said, now we’re back on track for a bit of bloody progress, and not a moment too soon,. So. Here’s a bang up to date picture of the wheelhouse and cabin- Spot the difference folks.

No? oh well, it’s a bit of a cheat without a proper ‘before’ pic anyway. The portholes are now fully fitted with their little eyebrows made out of sheet bronze. The roof has been trimmed to shape, rounded over and fitted with edging strips, and the whole lot has been waterproofed by fibreglassing with epoxy resin and glassfibre cloth. The skylight is reassembled and in position. And the double glazed windows are now finally installed at the back of the cabin. The only significant hole where the rain can still get in is under that black plastic wrapper, where another set of five windows lie that still require some fairly proper woodwork to the frames before they too can be glazed and the whole assembly can be declared weathertight. Notwithstanding that sodding strip of black plastic, this is a grand moment. We can now sleep at night, or leave Wendy Ann without always having to completely wrap her up against the elements for the first time, it’s more or less a proper ship’s deckhouse at last.