The work of a perfectionist

So here it is, the new instrument panel in mahogany. Isn't it beautiful? I don't think you can see it fully through this image, but this is like a piece of art. Created from a raw mahogany plank. If you look closely you'd be able to see the fine sharp cuts, the handmade curves, the fine fine corners, all cut and sawed and carved millimeter by millimeter to fit in the corner of the chart table, close to the hull where nothing is symmetrical. Alex is so incredibly detail-oriented and he can work for hours with one line, one cut - just to make it looking as perfect as possible. He's with fine wood and musical productions what I am with my photography. Trying to find the ultimate perfection in every little detail and he's never fully satisfied, because he believes there could have been something made just a little bit better. A little bit finer. I can't wait for the day when he's given the challenge to build our own little land based home on some beautiful island, somewhere in the world. It will obviously be made with utter perfection.

This beautiful mahogany thing isn't finished yet as you might understand, I will show you the final product when it is completed, varnished and mounted. All to fit the original wood of the boats interior. /T

What we're occupied with at the moment

So what do we have left before we can leave? This is one of those things. Alex have designed and mounted new teak seats in the cockpit and these gaps needs now to get filled with sika. Will show the final production once it's finished.

Rest of the list below. (and bear in mind that this is only what has to get done before we leave, there is another long list for not so super important tasks to fulfill when we have more time on some tropical island. ) So:

- Install a new cooler plate for the fridge. We'll be able to produce ice with this new one. Yes!

- One sail is on repair and needs to get back to the boat asap.

- Install the gps antenna for the MaxSea.

- Replace one of the navigation lights.

- Refill with more sika on some of the portholes.

- Fit the battery isolator.

- Install three new battery cables.

- Improve the earthing of the satellite unit.

- Install a larger engine starter battery.

- Clean out the boat and store everything properly.
- Await an important document that should have arrived today, better luck tomorrow I guess.

And.. that would be it for now. /T

Deck in progress

This is how you'll find me today. On my knees, putting tape all over the parts of the deck that is not finished so that Alex can fill the gaps between the teak planks with Sika. It is a long job, but glad that we at least are in the sun and warmth to finalize it. Everything is so much more enjoyable in warm weather, right? Even the hard physical work seems like a piece of cake. Alex have been walking around all day smiling, I don't know if it because he sees me working on the deck or what it is, but sure is that the sun have given our spirits new, refreshing energy.  

Ok, back to work, Captain (gestapo) is calling for me to proceed with my work. Laters. /Taru

Watermakers and survival skills

He is a hard working man, this sailor of mine. It is 12 pm on a Sunday night and he's been up since 9 this morning. He's been working and working and working on this boat barely without a break for the last fourteen hours. And still he's on it, late on a Sunday night. Although I would love him to be inside with me, drinking some wine and chilling down after a busy week and weekend, I am impressed by his endurance. If there is something that I admire about him, it is his ambitiousness, the commitment, focus and obviously also all his skills in tons of areas. Not only do I trust this man's ability to take us through hard times and through storms on the sea, which he already experienced a couple of times before, but also I've understood that he has the skills and knowledge to build us a home and even a boat with his bare hands, if that would ever be needed or wanted. These are some of the things that money can't buy and what I find incredibly attractive. /T

More installations

Inspection plates in plexiglass are now designed, cut out and mounted inside of the water tank. Looks amazing and also it feels very good to have cleaned that dirty little place. Still need to repeat the cleaning process a couple of times before it's perfectly fresh. Alex will also shortly start the installation of the second water tank, which will be connected to our new watermaker. We're very excited for the possibility to have enough fresh drinking water for our longer ocean crossings. Not to mention the ability to take fresh showers, every day! /T

I don't know how, but we've survived this week..

Paint is on!

Bathing platform is on!

The new dinghy and the engine to it have arrived!

The portholes are (almost) on!
The Internet antenna is here!

The watermaker is here!

The books have arrived!

The headache from all the stress is still here, but I'm sure we can solve it with some fine wine/rum/vodka and a delicious dinner with family and friends tonight. It's the last night out in real Barcelonian style...

Hasta Mañana amigos.

Internet

The Satellite unit arrived last night. I think I forgot some important information last time I wrote about it. It is a Thrane&Thrane hardware and nothing else. We're connecting to the Inmarsat Satellites and airtime is delivered by KVH. We don't have the time to install it before departure, but we'll let you know later on how it works. /T

Shiny

We got some very good help by a blog reader, who also recently re-sprayed his Hallberg Rassy 352, to find out which colors to choose from Awlgrip, for our Caos. Thans a lot for your help, Mark! 

The hull is now painted in Oyster White, and the Royal Blue tone will be added tomorrow. Unfortunately we will not have the time to paint the blue lower line, close to the water line, as we need to put the boat back into the water on Saturday, and this line would not be able to dry before the boat gets back into the sea. Will have to sort it out one day later on when we have left Barcelona. Because we're leaving on Sunday and nothing can stop that plan, remember!?

Can you tell how shiny and beautiful the hull is now? You can mirror yourself in it! /T

Patiently waiting

Isn't this beautiful? It's the valve for the watermaker. For the watermaker that should have left Switzerland last week but for some reason it will not hit the road before tomorrow. Will it be here on time, is the big question of today. What else are we awaiting? The book order. We ordered books from The Book Depository with the impression that the delivery would reach us no later than 3-7 days after placing the order, as they promise on the website. It has now gone 12 days and only one of 56 books have arrived. When I contacted the company to ask for the tracking number on our delivery, so that I could search for the rest of the books myself, they informed me that they do not send any packages with tracking possibilities. Excuse me, you don't do what? - Was my instant reaction and suddenly I regretted that we've placed a 600 Euro order with them in the first place - but there's not much to do now, I guess. Just wait and hope for the best. Stressed, frustrated and a bit pissed off - that's the mood of this sunny afternoon. /T

Morning view

This is the view we encounter first thing in the morning when getting out on deck, out hauled on the yard. It is a delightful and sunny day and so far we've been extremely lucky with the weather. It's like the weather gods knew that we only have a few days left and that we desperately need to finish the spraying process. Thanks for that.

From mess to reasonable

When we left the boat yesterday afternoon, she looked something like this. Imagine also all tools and things covered with sheets - and the sheet covered with a generous layer of dirty dust. The dirt was flying in through the open porthole-openings and if you didn't have asthma before, you'd probably get it in this mess. A real d i s a s t e r, that we simply just had to escape from for some hours.

So after a long (clean) nights sleep and a steady hotel breakfast, we went back to our little mess and threw out everything from the boat. I'm not kidding. Everything went out and although Alex insisted on waiting with the full house cleaning for some days when it all will be finishes, I made him understand that I needed to do it today. My brain simply can't function in such horrible, messy environments. If Alex is the tidy one with sails, lines and everything that has to do with the sailing part and the more messy one when it comes to our living area, I am the total contrary of it. So I sent him back out to work on the hull while I for three hours threw out every little piece of thing from the boat and carefully cleaned it in every nook and cranny. All loose stuff went out obviously, all cushions, everything that was kept inside of the lockers and drawers and when Alex came back in again and heard his own echo in the boat he said: Wow, this feels like the day when I bought her.. This boat has probably never been cleaner. 

Our cabin without any cushions or anything. Only some stored Blue Performance cases full of clothes. That's how we store most of our clothes, by the way. In some really good, hard cases with shelfs inside. Can much recommend the ones from Blue Performance. The white ones are from IKEA and are OK, although they do not have a cover on the opening. Usually we keep the cases on the right side, on the bed which we're not sleeping on. The wood in the back is still not fixed as you can see,  we'll get it back in place ones the bathing platform is up again.

So, now starts the rest of the project for today: To clean all the stuff that has been thrown out and get all those things back in the boat again. Also this cleaning process was a really good thing for us so that we could start contemplating about which stuff we actually need with us and which can go to the trash. We're having a new deal here right now: for every tool Alex have to throw out, I have to throw out one piece of garment or a shoe. It's pretty fair, I guess.

/Taru

Still some stuff to do...

When you see Caos now, it might be hard to understand that she will be ready to begin a circumnavigation in 8 days from today, no? Anyway: the portholes are out, the bathing platform's off again, the paint is stripped off the hull and now we're ready to start the preparations for the spraying process. We'll get it all finished in time, don't worry. (Or was that just something I said to myself to not feel stressed..) Action! /T

Next up

Sorry for the lack of sexy blogs lately, it's just that our life isn't very sexy at the moment... This porthole project has got a bit delayed as of other projects gotten in the way but now we've started. It is a serious mess for all people involved. Alex is now cutting out the old ones, I'm trying to cover up and organize things get moved around in this mess so we don't get metals all over the place and a guy we've hired is sanding the hull outside so we can get started with the painting preparations asap. Along with this mess we're also trying to decide which exact shade of white and blue to order for the paint from Awlgrip.

UPDATE: Off white and Royal blue it will be. /T

For the watermaker

This collection of bronze is the main project of the night. Fun? Not at all. I feel sorry for Alex who has so incredibly much to install on this boat and having to live with a women who's completely useless when it comes to working on this type of things. Although I'm giving a hand when I can, it still feels like it isn't enough - at least when considering the few days we have left here. I'll stick to the painting and polishing and maintaing this blog while Alex unfortunately has to deal with the rest of the 3459 projects.. Glad though we're having some very helpful friends who're helping out as much as they can.

Think I'll need to cook my man his favorite dish tonight and give him some very well deserved massage, later on - for all the hard work he's been going through this week./T

Bathing platform up!

The guys removed the wind pilot for a while to install the new bathing platform. It looks perfect! We realized by the way that we would need (not need really, but we want) to repaint the whole boat after taking off the portholes and before we'll installing the new ones, so tomorrow starts another project... When was it we're leaving again? In 45 days? Well then there's perfectly enough time for it all... Ha! The stress!! 9,5 days left!! /T

Hauled out

The new, beautiful Ocean hatches from Lewmar are up. Next on the schedule: Mounting of new portholes and exchanging the toe rails. Caos is hauled up for the rest of this week so we'll have plenty of time to fulfill the exterior work on her. The Katadyn watermaker will be here after the weekend, inshallah, so we will also take care of the installation of the new seacocks, later this week. Also, Alex came home with a gift for me last night, it was not roses, lingerie nor champagne, but a Fein angle polisher. Ha! So very thoughtful. So now you know where to find me for the rest of this week. On the yard, polishing the hull of the boat. /T

Windvane up!

Haven't had the time to try it out as yet but at least it looks good where it's mounted at the stern. And one more heavy task gone from the list.

Wine break

Much needed in between windvane installations, hatch mountings, teak gluing, winch installations, arch weldings and mental breakdowns. Cheers and good night. /T

Our saloon

Oh, we haven't showed you how the new saloon cushions looks like. It is a great relief to have exchanged the 28 year old fabrics to something crisp and fresh and this navy tone goes very well with the mahogany of the boat, doesn't it? The fabric is made of a cotton-teflon mix and is not only very comfortable to look at and sit in, but also very easy to clean as nothing sticks to it. We're trying to keep things simple inside the saloon and putting a bit more effort into our cabin instead. As you could read in my SA-story; there's where it all's happening anyway. Maybe we'll show you what it looks like in there, one day. /T

Do not get fooled by the tidiness on the photo, this is NOT how it looks like in this very moment. It still looks like a bomb was detonated in here. Pic was taken a couple of weeks ago.

Details

Definitely the hardest work of this week: measure the exact dimensions for the new sails (16 pages to fill in!). Glad though for very quick and helpful assistance by North Sails Denmark. Hopefully the sails will be awaiting us in Gibraltar in some weeks from now, despite the last-minute order.