The latest video in this boatbuild series looks at the fabrication of the engine mounting adapter plates and the glassing of the foredeck. I'm pleased with the outcome on both fronts - see what you think!

Currently, I'm working inside the boat in the saloon area, building the C-shaped settees. I'll try to get some photos up soon. Meanwhile, here's the latest video :-)

I think I'm quite pleased with progress at the moment. I've prepped the engine room and fabricated engine mounting adapter plates. I've also fitted mahogany trim/cleats around the foredeck opening and sealed the foredeck. I've just ordered some more glass cloth so I can get the foredeck glassed and basically finished so far, then I hope to work on getting the engine in place. After that I'll concentrate on fitting any internal larger pieces before getting the main raised deck in place. Moving forwards....

Here's the latest episode :-)

In this week's video, Elizabeth works on Pelican's bottom and I work on Tapatya's top!!

The title says it all. I'm back to writing the Miss Molly I adventures. At the moment, we're landlubbers and are attempting to get to Turkey on an aged motorcycle that may or may not be up to the task!!

Check it out!

A slideshow of shots of the old fella hard at it!

I got out to the shed and got a bit done yesterday evening. In fact, our main goal was to glass tape the edges of the new bottom that we've put on my Pelican daysailer and Elizabeth did that very nicely. Between trying to help her do that and trying to get some filming done, I trimmed up and fitted the forward-most board of the first layer of the foredeck planking. In truth, I think I had a bit too much curvature in the forward end of the framing and pulling the board down snug took a bit of effort and several 50mm screws, but it went down eventually and when the epoxy glue is dry, I'll remove the screws again in the hope that all will stay put.

I've ordered a couple more tubs of Semparoc glue and when it arrives, I'll get the second layer down on the foredeck. It already feels pretty solid, but that should really firm things up. Then, I guess it'll be time to glass it.

A big thank you to the people who have been asking about the further adventures of the Miss Molly I story. I WILL get back to writing on that front very soon - maybe even this week! I've looked out some photos and records so that I can write it all up accurately. Coming soon!!

Also, more build photos coming soon.... And I'm thinking about Patreon special content - hopefully also coming soon.... Phew!

I've released a couple of videos recently. One tries to show a couple of boating trips we undertook. Elizabeth wanted to explore some parts of the local river, the Ilmenau, that we'd not been on before, but when we tried to rent canoes for the trip, they were all booked out. After a bit of head scratching, we decided to do what we'd done a few years before and take our 2 optimist dinghies and use them without rudder or centreboard and basically make short squat canoes out of them.

Together with Hazel, and Elizabeth's friend, Lisa, we launched from the launching place just after the mill at Medingen, quickly rejoined the main river and then paddled our way down to Grunhagen for the haul out and end of the trip. In between, we had a short lunch stop on the public picnic tables at Wichmannsburg.

The Ilmenau is a placid, but very beautiful heathland river, flowing gently down to join the river Elbe near Hamburg (actually nearer to Winsen) and its always a pleasure to travel gently down this picturesque waterway. The trip was made the more exciting because a storm a week or so before had blown several large trees down across the river and these had to be negotiated with the dinghies. However, we were only forced into one portage and managed to get through or over all of the other obstacles.

Our second boating trip was when Elizabeth and I took our Pelican daysailer up to the Schlei, Germany's only fjord (although lacking the steep mountainous sides - it's green and rolling countryside there), in the very north of Germany. We stayed at a friendly campsite directly on the waterfront that had its own slipway and jetty for campers' boats. Arriving in the afternoon, we set up camp and then launched Pelican and headed out on a delightful afternoon sail for a few hours, returning to the campsite jetty just after 8 in the evening. Winds were light and we had a gentle downwind sail to a small island, rounded the island in what was very close to no wind, and then were very lucky that the wind shifted and built to give up a most enjoyable reach homewards.

The next day, we headed out after breakfast with the intention of sailing in the direction of Schleswig, the city located near the inland end of the Schlei. We spent several hours beating up the narrow waterway, carefully timing our crossing of the ferry path and then, at about 1 o'clock, as the water widened out, our close reach took us straight to a beckoning small sandy beach that we sailed straight onto, dropped the jib and parked for lunch. Our afternoon sail saw us close hauled in about a force 3 wind, sailing towards the looming city of Schleswig. However, not wishing to miss the campsite shop that closes at 8pm, we decided to do a 180 deg at 3 in the afternoon and basically run back to base. The run back took seemingly next to no time and we were moored by 5pm after a brilliant day of sailing.

Anyhow, here's the video, follwed by another that takes us back to the Tapatya build. Enjoy!