21 November 2010

Weekend jobs progress bit by bit

The long dark nights in these northern climes mean that evening work is a non-starter, at least until my shed eventually gets finished. In the mean time, bits are done over the weekend, other activities permitting. Most of the time is spent pulling the tarpaulin off and then back on again.
I have built a completely new stern platform for the boarding ladder out of good quality 18mm marine playwood. Five coats of teak stain and now it is in place. Still needs to be bolted on with some new, correct length stainless steel bolts. I need to build up a shopping list of screws and bolts and then order them in a single post. They become impossibly expensive otherwise.

I have finally seen sense and thrown away all of my "car boot organiser" bags and bought a proper marine cockpit bag from Blue Performance. It fits under the companionway perfectly and it will hold the gas bottles, sail ties and sun tan lotion. What else do you need in a cockpit? It did just fit in place, but I have cut back the central duckboards a bit so that it has its own space.

I have also roughed out a template for the extended bulkhead I am planning. It should give a modicum of privacy to the fore berth. At the moment, if you are on a pontoon, anyone walking by can see the entire interior. With a full height bulkhead to port there will be "somewhere to go to pull up your knickers" as my wife delicately puts it. The plan is to build it out of tongued and grooved matchboarding (9mm thick) backed by thin plywood. It will take a deal of head scratching to sort it all out.

2 comments:

  1. HI, love the blog and the boat is looking great. I like the idea of the half bulkhead, it will make it very cosy and privacy is important on a boat. I am trying your idea of mockign up an organiser area behind my sink and cooker before I commit to proper wood!

    Can't wait to see your workshop when it is up. Are you getting it made, if so where as I am looking to do something similar.

    Regards,

    ANdy Alacrity Seawitch

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  2. Workshop is a posh term for a shed. I am getting a local builder to build it for me. Short pause in works due to planning delay but hope that work will start again in the next couple of weeks. I could do with it now, it is cold.

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