Bathtub turns into a cockpit!

 

After several days of painting little parts, I got to add "big" parts to the project which does wonders to the "boatin' spirit"!

 

I added enough wood to the project that Kathy's bathtub now looks more like the intended part of the boat...the cockpit!

 

 

This is actually the sub-flooring and I haven't had the chance to cut hatches into it or paint it yet. That'll be next, but it's nice to start getting a perspective on the cockpit area!

 



 

 

...the progress puts a smile on our faces....! :)

 

Happy Thanksgiving all!!!!

 

Pirate

A bathtub?

 

After our little road trip, we are back in Texas and again making progress on our little pirate ship! Kathy once joked about having a bathtub aboard.....

 

...in my case, it's more likely a coffin! :)

 

 

Cockpit seats and lockers are next, then we fiberglass the deck, and on to the cabin from there. It really IS starting to look like a boat!!

 

Sail On...

 

Pirate



Ahh, The Smell of Fresh Paint...!

 

After spending the better part of two days on my knees, on my back, on my shoulders, upside down, etc, just trying to cram myself into position to paint every nook and cranny of the inside of our hull, two things quickly become apparent....

 

1) Painting corners is always a pain and EVERYTHING in the bottom of a boat is a corner...

 

2)  I am WAY too old to be doing this kind of aerobic exercise for the benefit of our boat!!! :)

 

(It's actually very nice to see the results..!)

 

 

Gotta head to the snow country for a few days, but will be back later in the week to continue..

 

Have a great week!

 

Pirate



Pre "Sealing" Pix

 

We have enjoyed enough progress recently that it's time to seal everywhere that will be covered up or inaccessible to us before we go much further. That means the stereo comes back out, the anchor light back off, (that was just for fun anyway) and things are cleaned up for sealer and paint.

 

Here are the last pictures before that all begins...

 

 

As I'm looking at these pictures, I have to reflect on the fact that it IS November here, and I can still work outside in 80 degree weather. After spending most of my life growing up in Montana or Seattle, I am really starting to like it down here in Texas...alot!!!

   

Sail on!!!

 

da Pirate

We'll Leave The Light On For Ya!!!

Sorry about the gap between posts, but it's been hectic around here lately and I'm finally able to get caught up.

 

Kathy and I spent the better part of last week in Ohio with her family for a wedding. (Good luck Matt and Julie!) We even had to drive back to Texas afterward due to hurricane Sandy and the effect the storm had on flights home as far inland as Cleveland!

 

Just before heading north, I was able to finish installing the floorboards for the berth. I had decided to use exterior plywood available at the local "warehouse" lumber yards and regretted that decision almost immediately. Quality wood it's not, and I headed back to Clark Hardwoods in Houston as soon as we got back from Ohio. I feel much better now. The "squishy" feel to floorboards is now gone. That would've bugged me every time I got on board the boat, so I'm so glad I fixed the problem right away.

 

The dog likes the new berth boards, too!

As you can see, I've added a few extras, too! Ya just can't build a boat without "Buffett!", so I have already loaded the deep cycle battery on board and tied the stereo to it for workin' tunes. And since I'm curious about battery life with the stereo and the anchor light burnin' away, I've clamped the masthead nav lights to the forward bulkhead. Like I said, "We'll leave the light on for ya..!!"

 

I'm in the process of adding as many parts of the infrastructure of the boat before we paint and seal the interior, so the cockpit structure is becoming apparent, too.

 

Da Pirate relaxes after a hard day at work...

 It's very fun to sit "aboard" for morning coffee...and it's not even DONE YET! :)

 

Sail On....

 

Pirate