the end is in sight???

July 8, 2017

Shawn’s birthday! We had a couple of hours to spend before we had a social obligation, so we headed to the boatyard to prepare for the “big” work tomorrow.  We removed some remaining coring debris from UNDER the flybridge perimeter. I swear I think the dust and debris reproduces itself while we are gone. We continually find more to remove after it is “clean”. AND sometimes I think we spend as much time to uncovering and recovering her as we do actually working on her on these short bursts of work. But each little bit of time we spend on her adds up and the end goal is in sight. We swept and vacuumed (and spent 30 minutes uncovering and recovering her!).

July 9, 2017

A huge workday! Shawn inspired me by taking me for an early morning boat ride on the skiff while we drank coffee and admired the wildlife and sunrise from our Carolina Skiff. 

We headed to the YB about 9, armed with a case of water and a few gatorades. After uncovering her AND cleaning more debris(#%^*!) we began to measure in order to cut the plywood and the coring for the flybridge. I am actually quite impressed with our work! It looks very professional. All due to Shawn. First we had to determine where we needed plywood and where we needed nidacore for the coring (I advocated for plywood over the whole flybridge because I figured it would be easier and stronger).  Apparently the way it works is: if something has to be “through-bolted” (whatever the heck that is!) or fastened somehow then we need plywood there. Otherwise we use nidacore---it is lighter, strong and less expensive. So…everywhere we have to “anchor” the helm, the helm chair, the seats, the mast and the railings needs plywood. Everything else nidacore. The first thing we did was fitted around the forward perimeter of the flybridge with nidacore because no fasteners are used there. We measured and calculated, cut and fit. And it worked! YAY!!! The flybridge deck is 88” wide and the first section we needed is 30” depth. Plywood. Once we cut it, we had to “score” the plywood so that it will flex and bend. So I made 3” lines on the plywood across the sheet and Shawn set the blade to ½” (it is ¾” plywood) and we scored the plywood section. It worked amazingly perfectly. These scores will be filled with epoxy once the laminating process begins. As we worked our way towards the rear of the flybridge, we alternated plywood and nidacore as needed. Hot, sweaty work. Several times we were ready to call it a day, but we pressed on until we got to a the very rear portion which requires us to measure and cut and fit under the rear perimeter. Too much thinking for the end of a day in the heat!!!

  

 So for the entire day, section by section, working from the front of the flybridge to the back, we would measure, then descend to cut the wood and score it. I would ascend, Shawn would hand me the plywood and I would hold it while he ascended and then we would place it on the flybridge floor. I guess you could do it with one person, but two makes it more manageable.

One logistical item I have failed to mention. Each day when we arrive at the boat yard, we have to connect to the power and to the water. At the end of the workday, we disconnect the water and power and wind up the electrical cord and hose.  And "our" boatyard looks like a ghost town now! We are one of the few remaining who are not YET launched into the glorious water!