Well, we've had a bit of a shock! Sadly, my wife, travelling and sailing companion, Karin, passed away last Tuesday. She had spoken on one of the videos about her battle with breast cancer. She had undergone multiple surgeries and treatments, but last August we learnt that it had spread to other organs, and that it was inoperable.

Obviously, we miss her terribly. We're currently busy with sorting out all the things that need to be sorted out at such a time. The boat build has slowed for obvious reasons.

There was no video last week. There may be a trimmed down one this week....

Yes Indeed! Both masts are now complete, clad in biaxial cloth in epoxy and the painted with multiple coats of epoxy primer/sealer and then a couple of coats of 2 component polyurethane top coat. They're currently laying in the boat shed, waiting to be fitted and to have sails hung on them :-)

I'm now starting on the fitting of the keel. I've jacked the boat up to give us about 90cm of clearance underneath her, and will soon be dragging the keel construction underneath to be secured in place. Getting there!

Meanwhile, here's a video that Hazel released recently. It's shot in Scotland - in the Orkneys and the Caledonian Canal, where she and Elizabeth have been sailing recently. The music is her latest track :-)

I've been neglecting this site somewhat, it's true. My concentration has very much been on getting the boat finished. Well, I'm still not there, but the light is certainly gaining candelas at the end of that tunnel! And so now, I'm full of good intent to get things going again here and on my Patreon page, and pretty much everywhere else really.

So, where are we on the build? Progress is good, I feel. One mast is, to all intents and purposes, finished. It needs a bit of paint still, and the masthead fitting is only half done, but it's bloody close! The engine runs; the sails are here and waiting to be hoisted as soon as there it a vertical stick from which to hoist them (well, I still have to make the yards!); the keel is waiting to be bolted on. All pretty good really!

I'm investigating various ways of moving the boat to a yard of some description for the final assembly and launch. Having said that, I shall keep her here in the back yard for as long as there are still things that can be done here in the back yard. There's no sense in moving her to a more distant and more expensive location before it's really necessary!

I'm now in the pleasant situation of being able to make a list of jobs that still need doing. Before, there was no sense in attempting a list, there was simply far too much to contemplate. So, it's all pretty good really :-)

Well, it's now early March in 2022 and the work goes on.

First of all, I'm not going to post all of the videos here that I've published since the last blog post, back in November of last year. I have put them up on their respective pages in the "Sound and Vision" section. You can, in fact, watch the entire build via the videos there :-)

The build is progressing well. The interior is very close to being finished - there are a couple of small electrical bits to do, and the engine control cables and salt water system still need a bit of work. The main focus of attention now is on the keel, and this quite possibly been the hardest part of the entire build so far. As things stand, the steel ballast keel box is complete and has been moved into the boat shed for filling with lead. Actually, when I say it's complete, I still need to put fixing points for the zinc anodes on it, along with some steel bar that will allow the aft end of the ballast keel box to locate in the keel wood that extends aftwards to the rudder shoe. I'm currently making a lead smelting/pouring system and should be starting with the lead work soon.

We're also doing some mods to Hazel's Freedom 28; in particular, the anchor chain storage and bow roller. Although, we're also planning some electrical upgrades with solar panels and a bigger service battery, some pantry selves and a new depth sounder. It's all go!

On the music front, Hazel is busy recording and has released several tracks (Spotify - Hazel Brown). I play some instruments on several of them - some bass, guitar, keys sometimes, even a bit of sax on a forthcoming release. We mix and master the tracks together, although Hazel is assuming more and more of that responsibility. For my own music, there basically aren't enough hours in the day!

I really hope to get this boat launched this year, but even that can't be guaranteed! The only answer is to chill and keep at it. It'll be done when it's done! I really hope this series of videos will be a useful resource for home builders though. That'll make it all worthwhile :-)

Well, the boat work is still happening and I'm putting out a video every Thursday evening. This certainly keeps me out of mischief! It has been a while since I posted anything here, so I'll end this post with a catch up of all the videos that have been released since my last post.

Meanwhile, I've made decent progress with the keel timber. The fore and aft pieces that serve to give a flat surface under the boat, compensating for the fore and aft rocker, are now all in place and the section of the keel timber above the ballast keel is laminated up and largely faired to shape (the leading edge will be shaped to match the ballast keel leading edge, so will happen once I have that to work to). Thoughts are certainly turning to the ballast keel, and I have a few bits to sort out before I can attack that. As things stand, I intend to make a mold and cast the lead with the bronze keel bolts embedded in it. This is not something I take lightly and I need to be thoroughly prepared before I tackle that.

I have also made a start on the upholstery - cutting the foam for the quarterberth and saloon cushions. I'm finishing off bits of trim here and there and also trying to get the engine room installations finished - the electric bilge pump is being installed, the engine control cables and wiring are sort of on their way, the exhaust and manual bilge pump are still to come. There are other bits and pieces here and there.

Hopefully, these bits will be completed soon - I might save the sewing of the cushion covers for the cold months after Christmas. Then it'll be time to cast the keel and build the masts.

And that could be launch time................ Well, there'll be a couple of other bits that I haven't mentioned!

Catch up time. Here we go;

Phew!

Wow! Where does the time go? It's the 1st of September today and the last time I wrote anything here was mid July....

Between times, quite a lot has happened, although some degree of frustration with the rate of progress undoubtedly also exists. Tapatya is now sitting proudly on the grass in front of the shed and I've made a good start on the construction of the bimini that will provide protection and shade in the cockpit and main entrance hatch area. I'm also working towards getting all of the other bits of finishing and connecting up finished and connected up. This involves fitting and sealing various bits of hardware - the main mast partners fitting, a couple of sturdy eye pads in the anchor box and the cockpit, the stove chimney top... I've fitted trim around the cabin sole edge and made doors for the cupboards/lockers in the heads. I've done some more wiring in the engine room and electrical bay. We're undoubtedly getting there, but there's still a lot to do...

Elsewhere, Hazel has spent the summer of her life cruising in Denmark. Her boat is performing well, although there's a constant list of upgrades waiting to be done... Hazel and Karin were hoping to do a charity event to raise money and awareness for breast cancer, but unfortunately, it's just been cancelled, presumably due to the ever increasing number of Covid cases here in Germany... Shame!

Here's a catch up on recent videos. Also, the Behind The Scenes videos are still being published on my Patreon page, so head over there and have a look!

And so we're into the summer, where it's certainly warm enough for epoxy, paint and varnish to dry without concern, but verges on the hot and sticky and makes hard work a somewhat sweaty business. Still, mustn't grumble and must get on...

It's been a while since I posted anything here. In between times, the keel lead is safely home, Hazel is off cruising in her boat after she and I took it around into the Elbe, through the Kiel Canal and to the Baltic Sea. Tapatya has moved forwards in the shed and now sits with her bow out in the big wide open air, just itching to get out there properly and get going; her pulpit is fitted, her forward nav lights wired up and functioning; her cabin sole complete and her aft bulwarks capped and varnished. It's been a good few weeks, and looking back, I feel I've got a fair bit done! The next big step will be pulling her completely out of the shed. Coming soon!

Here's a catch up...

Well, here's a short interview that I did for the new Junk Rig Association YouTube channel...

Way on back in November of last year, I purchased a load of scrap lead for the keel. It was a goodly drive away, but the price was right and I only needed to drive up and collect it. Then the Covid lockdown kicked in, travel was forbidden, or at least made difficult - tests were needed; at one point we weren't supposed to cross state lines... My first vaccine came along, which was good, but meant I couldn't do a Covid test for 10 days.... but finally, last weekend, Kerry and I took a drive and collected 1 ton of old fishing net weights. They're here! All I've got to do now is form them into some sort of keel....

Meanwhile, the rudder is fully shaped and being prepped for glassing, the cabin sole is nearing completion, and a few other small but important bits are being made. We will actually be pulling her forwards very soon! (I feel like I've been saying that for ages now!)

Well, it's actually the third of May today. Germany has a national holiday on 1st May, but as it fell on a Saturday this year, we got to have Saturday off. Next year, it'll be a Sunday! Oh how the economy will rejoice!

The other great thing about a national holiday falling on a Saturday is that we're not supposed to make working noise on national holidays, so you even lose the Saturday of normal boat building. Grrrrrrr!

However, through some sort of fortunate magic, the boat build is progressing really quite well. I've moved on to the cabin sole, which I'm cladding in fairly cheap oak strip. It'll do!

The interior is really nearly finished - there are some bits of trim and cushions and little bits here and there to finish off, bit we're almost there. I shall be dragging her partly out of the shed soon.

Here's a catch up on recent vids :-)

It's April and a very typical one at that! Last week, we were outside barbecuing, enjoying the sun; this week it's been stormy and snowy, with the occasional sunny spell. What a mad month!

Meanwhile, the boat build goes on. The main concentration recently has been on the stove, in particular the flue pipe and through deck fitting thereof. I've also mounted a new stove fan control unit. Elsewhere, the inverter install is nearly complete - how long can it take? - with outputs in the galley and at the switch panel. I've measured up and ordered quite a bit of stuff for the engine room - raw water filter, diesel prefilter and water trap, hoses for those, battery cables, a battery isolator. It just goes on! The forward combing caps have been cleaned up and are being varnished. I also managed a week up at Hazel's boat doing some refitting and generally prepping the boat ready for launch, and she's now afloat again :-)

Here's a video catch up;

Oh! And there`s a new "Behind The Scenes" video over on the Patreon page, here;

www.patreon.com/sv_tapatya

I'm pushing on with the interior and, really, starting to see the light glowing in the distance.

We've designed a new version of the companionway steps and these are in construction - simple and clean, and moving away from the traditional old teak steps that were gleaned from Miss Molly and previously Popeye's, and have been loosely standing in Tapatya for quite a while now.

Elsewhere, the forward mast partners fitting is now complete - I shall give it a clean up and then get it fitted. The forward water tanks are plumbed in, with the exception of the tank breather, and the diesel tank deck filler is in place. I've fitted a couple of small scupper drains in the cockpit seat area and one of these is plumbed to a thru-hull high up on the port side. The other will go to a thru-hull that I've fitted in the cockpit well, but I'm still waiting for the final part I need to connect that up.

Also, I've been working on completing the Miss Molly Adventures on this website. Some new stuff is there now, but the final chapters are coming soon!!

Here are the latest videos;

Anyone who lives at any latitude north of here will probably think I'm a total wimp, but it's been jolly cold recently, in fact, too cold to do very much. Temperatures have been as low as -16°C and being out in the shed for any length of time is hard work; doing metalwork even harder. Combine that with the fact that, due the the ongoing virus situation, all of the hardware stores are closed, it makes for the most frustrating period of time as yet in the 3 1/2 years of this build.

Here are the 2 latest videos. I've also been doing a bit of writing on the continued Miss Molly Adventures....

The last few weeks have been basically all about finishing off in the forepeak. The plan is to start forward and work aft finishing things. To this end, I made up a short dummy mast so that I could get the angles something like right on the mast steps and partners fittings for both masts. As already stated, the forepeak was first on the list, so armed with this short mast, I set up the position of the mast step and built it using a method developed from ideas from Arne Kverneland (thanks Arne!). Once that was good and solid, the forward bilges were painted out, the bunk boards cut to their final layout and the hull liners were installed. These were made from eva foam mats, following the idea shown by the Sailing Uma guys (thanks again!).

The last steps will be to get the water tanks all hooked up and the partners fitting made and temporarily in place.... Then we're moving aft :-)

Here's a catch up on recent videos;

All 13 cabin lights are in a working.In the end, I replaced the 3 older lights that I had converted to LED with purpose-built LED lights. The old lights looked a bit tatty, the adapters were less than satisfactory and I preferred the idea of having all of the lights using the same bulb (or LED lighting unit). Time to move up to the forepeak now, to start working my way aft, finishing things....

I've just started publishing a new fortnightly video series called "Behind the Scenes". The idea behind it may not be a massive surprise given the title, but it's to try to show more detail of the week-to-week goings on of this build, and perhaps to discuss thoughts and ideas relevant to the build. It's aimed at people with that extra bit of interest in this project and will be published initially exclusively on my Patreon page here

Published videos from this new series will also appear on this website a few weeks after their initial appearance on the Patreon page.

This week has seen me practicing boat yoga to contort myself to reach all those delightful out-of-the-way places that are just ideal for hiding wiring and connectors/terminal blocks. The good news is that I'm nearly finished and the boat has an almost completely functioning electrical system. It's amazing how long this takes even on such a simple electrical system as this one! However, I've used tinned wiring throughout, with soldered connectors screwed to terminal blocks providing easily accessible junctions and an easily traceable system. I'm pleased with the result - just a little bit more to do!

While I've been fabricating a fibreglass motor panel and running wiring various in Tapatya, we've also been getting down and dirty in Alanouwoly, Hazel's Freedom 28. Progress is good on all fronts, although a bit smelly sometimes :-)

Hazel and I have release a new music track. It's a chill kinda vibe and is available from all of your favourite digital sources - iTunes, Amazon, Tidal, Spotify, etc

I've been working in the engine room recently. The first job, after getting it all fitted and painted out, was to fabricate a stainless plate to mount the new Vetus exhaust muffler/water lock. I then rewired the engine, working through it all with the wiring diagram and making a few repairs on the way. Then it was a simple job to heave the engine back into place :-) Finally, after a bit of head scratching and consultation, the decision was made to fit the motor control panel, recessed in the forward face of the cockpit well. To do this, I decided to fabricate a fibreglass dash panel, so made up a wooden plug, wrapped it in cling film and set to laying up epoxy and glass. Though I say so myself, I'm quite pleased with the results so far :-) You can see all of the above, here!!

Hazel and I have a new music track coming out on Saturday (Sat 21st Nov). It's a groovy chill sort of thing with a lazy ocean type of feel. It's called "Ocean View" and features vocals from Hazel and a bit of nylon-stringed guitar from me. It'll be out in all good digital sources - iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Tidal, etc, etc. Check it out!!

Well, I still need to get the painting in the engine room finished and temperatures are dropping. The paint is not supposed to be applied below 10 deg C and daytime temps are either not reaching that or are only just going over that at midday, The answer; a heater, of course. However, we have to bear in mind that the fumes from the 2 component PU paint are explosive, so it all has to be approached somewhat carefully! That being said, I fully expect to finish the paint work this week.

Along the way, I've fitted a storage unit down the port side of the engine room that will house tools and the starter battery. I've bought the exhaust muffler and planned its location and have a piece of stainless just waiting to be turned into a support platform for the muffler. Elsewhere, plumbing is ongoing, cockpit drains are being fitted, battery charger and inverter are in planning, materials are arriving with scary regularity...

To further keep me out of mischief, I headed up to Hazel's boat at the weekend. She's had a few motor problems recently, which we traced to there being water in the diesel. After some investigations, I theorised that her diesel tank was leaking, so, with winter approaching, she decided to haul out for some refit work and upgrades with view to summer cruising next year. Alanouwoly is now sitting high and dry and when the haul out was completed we got straight to work attacking the diesel tank. Unfortunately, this involved cutting a large hole in the cabin sole, but, this achieved, we levered out the tank to reveal a rather disgusting and stinking mess beneath it. The tank was holed in at least 2 places, so the diagnosis proved to be correct, and Hazel is now cleaning up the sodden foam and stinking diesel mess in her bilge. She plans to fit a composting heads, so we will also be removing the holding tank that is in the engine room. Plans are not finalised, but this may prove to be a suitable location for her new diesel tank, perhaps leaving the bilge area for a battery box and upsized service battery capacity. Time will tell.....

It has indeed!!

I've released several videos since I last posted one here. I've updated the video and audio pages to include these now, but I shall only post the latest of them here now. Meanwhile, I've just returned from a short break on the North Sea coast of Denmark - beautiful country with sea views and rolling dunes.

On the boat front, there's a lot going on, much of which can't really be shown in the videos, but which still takes a considerable amount of time and effort. I probably have the opportunity to pick up a ton or so of lead at a very reasonable price - although it will involve a long drive. So the keel research has been ongoing. Simply deciding on the material for the keel is only one aspect. Once the decision has been made to go for lead (and it probably has), there are still methods of forming the keel to be investigated - cast lead in a mold - from plywood, or steel - cast lead in a steel box that will then stay as part of the keel structure - use preformed ingots in a steel box with epoxy resin to keep them in place - or the same but with concrete replacing the epoxy - the list goes on, and all have their merits.

Then, there's the question of the keel bolts - bronze, stainless, mild steel, galvanised? If bronze, what alloys are available and suitable? Through-bolts or j-bolts cast into the keel? Drill the lead casting or use plugs of some sort in the casting?... It goes on...

I'm also in contact with the sailmaker I intend to use. I hope to be taking a drive up to visit the sail loft in the next few weeks, and will be placing a firm order very soon. And, on top of all that, I had the chance to pick up a pair of galvanised steel masts, and thought long and hard about doing so. In the end, their weight and thermal coupling properties put me off and so I've also been researching methods of building wood masts (again!). There are 2 methods that interest me - one would produce a largely solid mast, while the other is a relatively simple way of making hollow masts. Clearly the hollow masts would weigh less, but I'm inclined to think I might trust the more solid mast more.... Hmmmm...

I shall finish this rather long post by embedding my latest YouTube video. It's a montage of significant scenes from the 3 or so years that this build has taken thus far. I hope you enjoy :-)

The washboards have taken what seems like an eternity to complete - partly because they were low priority and just got worked on in between other, more important stuff, but partly because I somewhat screwed up and had to think on my feet to save them, at one point.

Then, there was an area at the forward end of the bulwarks that didn't please me. Sure enough, they felt solid, but, in the event of a collision or suchlike, I felt they were vulnerable, plus, the end grain of the ply needed sealing effectively somehow. The answer was to fabricate support brackets between the bulwarks and the bow fitting, making it all rock solid and enabling me to fill and seal the forward end of the bulwark ply.

Now, the forward fairleads are fitted and the fore deck is painted, complete with non-slip panels :-)

Some weeks you get major items ticked off the list and others you just get little bits here and there done, and you sit back at the end of a busy week and think, "is that it?". There are, of course, a myriad little jobs that need to be done; small battens here, a bracket there, a bit of filler, a splash of paint, running some wire; and sometimes these little jobs take as much time as a major item but certainly don't look as impressive. And, these things are very difficult to calculate in the time needed reckoning.

As things stand now, jobs on the go are;

1. I have fabricated brackets to support the forward end of the bulwarks, however, the M14 bolts that I have to fix them to the bow fitting have damaged threads. I am waiting for a delivery of an M14 die to clean the threads up. I am also missing some 8mm washers to fit the brackets to the bulwarks. I need to get to the shop! Once these things are present, I can fit the brackets and fill/seal/paint the forward end of the bulwarks.

2. The forward fairleads are in place. They need a bit of filler/primer/top coat.

3. I have the through hulls for the cockpit drains, but do not have a hole cutter/Forstner bit of the correct diameter. I have ordered one and will fit them once it arrives.

4. I am still varnishing and painting the washboards. They are still nearly finished.

5. The foredeck is partly painted. Once the bulwark brackets and fairleads are finished, I will finish painting it and do the non-slip panels.

6. I have interior lights for the main cabin. They need to be fitted. This may entail an upgrade of the wiring conduit and cabin wiring.

7. The galley and heads water pumps are waiting to complete their rebuild and be fitted. The pump handles are also ready...

8. I have purchased the steel for the engine mount to floors brackets, and also the aluminium for the hatch turtle mounting brackets...

9. And so on....

However, a little glimmer of light is perhaps beginning to show at the end of the tunnel :-)

Here's this week's video!

As you may well remember, the goals for this summer were to get the interior varnished and the exterior completely painted (plus whatever else was achievable along the way). Well, I'm getting there. The interior is now completely finished in terms of paint and varnish, and the exterior is almost done. The hull paint went on last weekend and there is only the fore deck left waiting to get gloss and non-slip. Pleased :-)