Schizophrenia

Karver furling drum

Planning always has to keep one step ahead of execution. The hull and interior layout have been pretty much decided on and work is advancing. But decisions need to be made on fittings, standing and running rigging, sails, and equipment. Anything that will have to be ordered has to be ordered now so that we're not stuck waiting for stuff. 

The schizophrenic nature of this boat has me looking at some very different bits of hardware. Modern, light, high performance, high tech versus traditional, solid, hefty, reliable low tech. Aesthetics versus performance. This is no racing boat, but it's not a heavy long keeler either. So like a kid in a candy store, I hesitate between the bewildering choice of boat candy. 

I'm sending Tiernan links to bronze winches, hemp-coloured rope, Griffiths hatches, Karver continuous-line furlers, Dyneema, torque rope. I soon get sidetracked by Classic Marine and Toplicht and their incredible selection of gear from a different age. Wykeham-Martin furlers and Davey wooden blocks, bronze cleats and portlights. Varnish and teak and oil lamps. But it's a slippery slope when you start looking at classic hardware. If we put this bronze bit here, will that plastic thing there look out of place? And if we replace that plastic thing with a wooden thing, will this stainless steel piece look wrong? And then if we go with galvanised instead of stainless ...

Davey ash block

Tiernan tries to bring some order to the ambient chaos by asking what kind of aesthetic I'm looking for: classic yacht or workboat? This simple question brings immediate clarity. The Cape Henry is styled after the Northern European workboats of the 19th and early 20th century. It's not a gentleman's yacht. So galvanizing is in, and wooden blocks are out. But what about tufnol? Perfect. And so certain compromises are made. Hemp-colored rope and Spinlock clutches and cleats. Bronze furler and winches. Wooden cleats. I think the end result will be visually coherent and practical and functional. 

Tiernan sends photos of the work in progress. Cockpit lockers, steel centre plate, epoxy coatings, paint. Laura asks how come Bainne isn't in any of the photos? I pass the message to Tiernan but he's slow to take the hint. April holidays are coming up and we've decided to go to Ireland for a week. I feel like there are some things that need to be sorted out in person. In particular I want to talk to Diarmuid at Atlantic Boating about a trailer and outboard engine. 

Griffiths hatch

The Atlantic Boating website mentions Nautilus trailers, and when I say this to Diarmuid he says that their website hasn't been updated for a few years. They are very good trailers, and during the Celtic Tiger years they brought them in by the lorry load. But those days are long gone, and now they bring in the odd Indespension trailer from the UK. I explain that I would prefer a sprung trailer, and that since we live in France we try to support the local economy whenever possible. He says he'll be going to France soon and he'll see what he can do. He's also a distributor for Yamaha outboards (assembled in France!) and he can get the small ones in two or three days. 

We're also thinking about where to keep the boat when she's out of the water, and I've been looking at prefab steel sheds. We mention this to Danny and he says why don't you put her in the old dairy? We would have to put a roof on it first, but it would be nice to put the old building back to use. Things are falling into place nicely for another Big Adventure™ this summer. At the same time, a small worry is niggling at the back of my mind. But what could possibly go wrong?