Betwixt

Lots of stick welding of the keel and water/diesel compartments.  This involved getting your body into a very small compartment upside-down and welding.  John's hobby is caving, so the small compartment bit has been practised.  The deck-stringer welding finished, and the keel welded completed in and out.  Still endless grinding and cleaning of welds, checked, re-welded, grinded, and checked again.

We took a short break visiting family in the UK, and on a quick tour around Scotland, I noted a number of charming marinas which will be future mooring places!

Decision made, cut out the very rusty bits in the keel, and carry on.  First thing was to have some steel cut to size and shape.  Working off 30 year old faded paper plans (sizes in inches and feet) John enlisted his friend Manfred to do the CAD cutting list.  Eco Laser then did an excellent job of getting the parts cut.  Then one of the first of many difficult precision fitting of the deck-stringer;  a few weeks later it was fitted and spot-welded in place.

After a week's sailing course in Cape Town, the serious job of examining the state of the rusty old steel hull began.  There was a point when we thought that there was too much rust in some of the keel plates, and even considered starting all over again; to which begged the question "should we be doing this at all?"

I needed to know if I can handle life on the water.  As part of the preparation John needs to get his skipper's license;  I decided to get a deckhand's certificate.  Our son Bruce, fresh out of university, decided to join me in learning the ropes.  I hope our older son Matthew will join in too one day, but this is a process and there will be time.  We registered with Ralph of Cape Town Sailing Academy and the lessons began.

We have come full circle.  About 30 years ago we began a boat build that took back seat as life happened.  This 35ft steel hull boat began life on a plot in Grasmere and travelled several plots landing in our current home plot;  under a roof but generally neglected. It appears to be the right time in our lives to continue the boat project.  So it began, early 2019.