progress photos...

[Bernadette]

hello everyone in forum land...here are some photos of our work as we get nearer to launching??????
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid44/p29557c09790d70f99d15c6524adc28ae/fcdd66f8.jpg
main cabin looking forward. Bulkheads are panelled and will be painted white. Toilet compartment to stb and locker/stowage to port directly opposite. Below locker is a "seat" come stowage bin all done in Qld. Maple. The locker doors throughout will all be Qld. Maple. The settees are each about 6' long and hold water under in glassed tanks. Probably about 350 lts all up. The settees flare at the aft end to allow for a much more comfortable berth for sleeping etc. We find we spend the most time here!!!! lounging and lazing!! The entire cabin will be trimmed with Qld Maple.
The cabin sole will be laid over with a White Beech and Spurwood deck. The saloon table will butt up against the bulkhead to stb.Through round companionway is the forward vee berth.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid44/p3eeb4b73ca8009d6b69f627dc7b64490/fcdd66fd.jpg
Looking aft in main cabin with galley under construction to port. Stove is immediately behind bulkhead and is gimballed (something which seems to be appearing less and less in yachts??). The dive compressor (under dust covers) is to port and while it does take up a lot of space etc....we just simply could not leave home witout it!!
Companionway steps will form over main engine compatment. To stb opposite galley will be fridge /freezer followed by the chart table. The cabin sides are finished in Qld Maple. They look very dark in this photos but are actually much lighter. We are using International Schooner varnish throughout. The bulkheads will be trimmed on edge with Qld. Maple and this will include a hand hold (hence the cut away corner presently seen).
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid44/pef788192cc04939d90bce20d811257ca/fcdd66fb.jpg
Helm which my father gave us and steering box which occupies space in the cockpit but designed and built this way as we have formed a watertight compartment on the aft main cockpit beam. Consequently, the steering arms (in the steering box) are designed forward of the rudder post.
We will be getting a bronze strap made up for the face of the helm and having it inscribed with the yacht's name (which has now been 'officially' approved) and some other writing in keeping with the yacht's name!!??? Guess away folks????
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid44/p4a418610a561ab7687e8d0ed5d09d8c3/fcdd66ff.jpg
This is a clearer photo of the dive compressor painted in our choice of colours after David did a rebuild.
The latest launch date is projected for end of April or maybe early May? Who knows..there is so much to do still!
Bernadette and David. smile.gif

[ 12-30-2002, 05:28 AM: Message edited by: Bernadette & David Hedger ]

[formerlyknownasprince]

Looking good.

Ian

[nedL]

Looks fantastic! Now please promise lots of pictures at her launching, we will all be waiting :D

[Concordia..41]

You guys and all you have already done is just amazing - not to mention inspiring smile.gif

As far as a launch date goes, a fellow boater (who had experienced more than his share of boater's luck and dealt with the inexplicable boater's time warp) came up with the No-Earlier-Than theory.

Basically, anytime anyone asked him when he was going to launch, leave, be finished with a project, etc. he would reply "No earlier than ..." He swore he warded off the curse of the given date :D

Cheers!

[WFK]

It's about time!! I've been waiting for your pictures for weeks. What a beaut.
I'm planning a trip to Australia later in the year, say October or November,......Can I come to the launching? ;)

Bill

[MAGIC's Craig]

This is quite the exciting time, isn't it? She is looking very good and that reflects the careful hours you are pouring into her. I would agree, do not waste much time on specifying a launch date - both times we did it, we rushed things too much :(

Thanks for posting the photos!

Craig and Vicky Johnsen
Schooner MAGIC

[Alan D. Hyde]

She's looking great.

Congratulations!

You'll have enough to do (yourselves) at launching, so why not designate an official launching photographer?

Depending on geography, logistics, etc., there's a lot can be done after launching. That's how the old-timers in New England used to do it...

Fair winds,

Alan

[Wayne Jeffers]

Bernadette and David,

I've followed your updates with much interest from the time your project consisted of frames stacked against the wall.

Beautiful work! :cool: Keep it up! You are truly an inspiration. :D

Best regards,

Wayne

[Bayboat]

Right: No launch date except "when she's ready."
Looks great!! Best, Clint.

[PeterSibley]

Bernadette,
a really beautiful job!!!And getting better by the day .

[capt jake]

Yes, truely grand!! You make me wish I had a larger boat! This is truely great work! smile.gif smile.gif

[Bernadette]

Thanks for the input everyone.
We have already passed a couple of 'prospective' launch dates, so another one won't bother us too much...when the work is done, well, it's done, and all that's left is to launch! We will be launching the yacht completely finished as it's just too difficult to finish alongside a jetty. Except for fine tuning etc we expect we shall be quick to get her underway.
A serious question about launch day....
The Americans are good at these with lots of fanfare etc etc. Our launchings are rather quiet affairs with very few people about, the bottle of bubbly is cracked over the stem and after the splash it's just a matter of keeping an eye out for leaks! However, this time around we wanted to go way way upmarket with invites to heaps of people including the general public, a small amount of catering, a speech (!) and (?) even a band (nautical tunes). Any comments would be appreciated. How is all this managed given the anxiety associated with launching your 'very own' yacht, keeping an eye on the actual launching whilst keeping the invitees happy? We assume that there would be no people coming aboard for 'inspections' until perhaps some days later when the yacht is settled in the water?

[wolfietuk]

The old Sea Island used to have public launchings. In fact they got everybody to push the boat into the water. Usually it was on Saturday Morning. A nice light breakfast, plenty of mimosas (champange and orange juice), and a chaplin or priest to give the blessing. There would sometimes be hundreds of people show up. But one word of warning, if people come to a launching they will want to tour the boat. This can good in a way, you can run everybody through and get it over with for all your aquaninteces. Find a good reason for a cut off time as a way to tactfully run everybody off after an hour or so.
You could find someone in uniform who has to "inspect" the boat. He runs everyone off and then you sail away.

fair winds
Rick Tuk

[rbgarr]

That's absolutely true about everyone wanting to board the boat! I boarded a 37' schooner at a launch to look around and the builders (who were good friends, bless 'em) cast off and sailed away down river to another dock just to get away from the crowd that was threatening to swamp them. I had to walk back to my car.

The movie "Mesage in a Bottle" shows a good 'script' for a launching, but leaves out the part about everyone wanting to get aboard.

[Roger Stouff]

Ya'll are doing so great. She's gorgeous.

[ishmael]

Yeah, what everyone said!

[GROOVY]

Great!
.................. Cant wait to see it afloat

[ken mcclure]

Sometimes there just aren't words to adequately express admiration.

I probably won't make it to the launching in person, but you can bet that I'll be there in spirit!

[Cedarhill Boatworks]

I like that Ken, Someteimes there just aren't words to describe admiration. Indeed!

[Lion]

Hello Bernadette & David

Looks great. Some one said in an earlier post that building a pretty big boat is 'up close its just hard work'. It clearly has been hard work but the thoughtful consideration you bring to the process and the outstanding outcome is a great credit to you. Thanks for sharing it with us.

As to launching celebrations think it would be a great idea. Would love to be there, so keep us posted! I agree that after the barbecued sausages and the beer and cordial it will be hard to keep em off the object of desire. Suggest you let them, get it over and done with.

Lion

[Bernadette]

we are still some (few???) months away from launching but all the suggestions are food for thought. nice to know that people like our work...when we look at other projects (like the Malabar X) we go WOW!!! too, but the reality of building these boats is different for each so given our circumstances, we are happy with ours!!
smile.gif

[B. Burnside]

How about a quiet "inner circle" launch, to make sure everything's ok, and she's floating to her lines etc. Then have the big launching party with speeches etc.

A friend of ours had a launch party with the whole community where he lived. An epic journey with a backhoe involving some road alterations was required to get the boat to water. It took longer - like eight hours longer- than anticipated, so more than a whole tide was missed. Instead of launching near the top of a rising tide, she was launched near the bottom of the tide, ran aground, etc, etc, etc. If a person likes that kind of comedy, great. So darn many surprises can happen at a launch!

To each his own.

However you do it, I hope you enjoy it to the max!