3,000 Hours, But Who’s Not Counting?

October 31, 2016  Hours spent building to date:  3,026

Blew through 3,000 hours Tuesday on a boat that I thought would take 2,500 hours to build.  In commemoration I decided to dilly dally even further with some interior decorating.  With no cushions and the trim unvarnished, I thought the freshly-painted forecabin was looking a bit chalky — a mayonnaise on white-bread sandwich with a thin crust of cherry.  So with a nod to the project’s theme,  I painted the cover to the anchor storage area a bold “Tardis Blue” (a real color that I bought at Home Depot).  Risky, edgy, fashion-forward, but that’s just the kinda guy I am.  Then right out of the chapter on “Details to Delight” I added a compass rose decal to keep the Tardis properly oriented as she moves through time and space.

Some real work was also accomplished:

— Installed the final two bronze portlights, for a total of six.  Same old story — the first portlight I installed took all afternoon, the final two less than an hour apiece.

— Wired up the forward lights.  An overhead light in the berth area, two small reading lights and a waterproof light in the head.  Very satisfying — flicked the breaker and on they came.

— Trimmed out all the raw plywood edges in cherry.  Can’t wait to get the varnish on sometime in this millennium.

Apropos of nothing:  Did you ever notice how decorators on television use the phrase “with a nod” a lot.  They can be describing a house that is all glass and white concrete, but the guest bathroom door has a green handle:  “With a nod to the owner’s favorite vacation destination of French Guiana, we added a hint of “Devils Island Emerald” to highlight the cell-like aura of this room.”

Tardis Blue on Mayonnaise

Forecabin trimmed out and painted

Portside portlights

Starboard portlights

Lights going in

Tools of the wiring trade

Forecabin all lit up

New light in head