Afloat!

No, only joking, but with all this foam up front Onawind Blue should keep her bows above water. I’ve installed those long buoyant sausages that children use when learning to swim. I tried some out last summer in a friend’s pool and noticed just how floaty they were; with one sausage behind my knees and another under my back I could float about all afternoon and even drink beer. They’re high density, light weight, easy to cut, look tidy and cost 2€ apiece. I put a block of Styrofoam, which I’d salvaged from another boat, in the bottom, fixed in place with some builder’s foam and then two chopped sausages on top.

It’s very nearly time to fix the decks and I’ve spent much of the day making sure that all the little bits and pieces that will be sealed in the lockers are made and accounted for. I’ll be launching using ex-windsurfing masts and then switching to larger diameter wooden masts when I’ve got round to building them, so I’ve made a set of adapters to take the smaller spars.

I experimented with a breakwater, wave-deflector on the foredeck. I definitely think the boat will need one but this first model interferes with OB’s lines so I’ll have to try something smaller.

Spring has been fruitful for the blackbirds, the trees and hedges are full of their pleasant twittering and the youngsters are now learning to fly. And crap at the same time. Onawind Blue seems to make a natural target and I’m getting a bit fed up at finding black and white goo splattered about her insides. Today though, more than a couple of young birds fell prey to cats and I’ll admit that it was gratifying to see the balance of nature being restored.