Note: I copy the daily log entries to their repective project pages almost daily. If you want to read all the entries for any project sequentially, go to the "Projects" tab and you will be able to navigate to the appropriate page. Most of the interior contruction projects will be found via links in the "Rebuilding the Interior" page. The rest of the projects have separate tabs on the "Projects" tab.
Note: I added another page under the "Projects" page that should allow smart phone and iPad users to access the separate projects via hyperlinks. I don't know why but it seems that smart phones can't access the drop down menus.

0 Nov 13: Sometimes You Just Have to ExperimentFor the last two days I have been working on an idea for the bilge pump exhaust that I first considered four or five months ago. Why don't I just drill a hole in the transom? I could, but, there are several reasons for not doing it. First, I really hate cutting holes in the boat if I don't have to. Second, I think the boat has a great looking transom and cutting holes and attaching hardware to it detracts from its graceful lines. It was one of the advantages of the Cape Horn Windvane over the Monitor . . . it just looks a little more elegant. Third, routing the bilge hose to the bilge exhaust flange if installed in the transom interfered with the below deck control lines for the Cape Horn Windvane and with accessibility to the storage system I built and installed in the lazerette locker. Fourth, by installing a dorade ventilation box over the previous engine exhaust cowl vent hole, it becomes a more all weather system and better able to keep the air flowing into the locker while reducing the likelihood of water gaining access to the lazerette in foul weather. The vent to the lazerette allows air to flow through to the quarter berth. Last, this design does not require me to cut any holes in the boat (other than four bolts down through the deck to secure the box to the deck) as the bilge hose is routed up through the preexisting hole in the deck that accommodates the former engine cowl vent. Therefore, I took some time to experiment and build a dorade box from some teak cut-offs.

Still an experiment. The bilge hose runs up through a hole in the deck that was the original hole for the 3 1/2" cowl vent, that was secured directly to the deck, and provided ventilation to the engine comparment. The dorade makes the vent all weather and eliminates the need to cut a hole in the transom for the bilge hose exhaust.

I basically followed the design and techniques described by Larry Pardey in Lin and Larry's book "Cost Conscious Cruiser." It was not difficult. It took maybe four hours to make, not including time for the resorcinol glue to dry overnight. I still need to cut a hole for the cowl vent in the lid. I am not sure how I feel about the way it looks. I am not used to seeing it there. At first, it looked a little ungainly on the fantail. But, it has gown on me a little. And, if I don't like it, all I have lost is a day of work and some teak scraps--the hole was already there. Unlike my other dorades, I will leave this one bare. As recommended by L. Pardey, I used rabbet joints to reduce exposed end grain so as to prevent checking of the grain. There is a lot of action on the fantail and it would be very difficult to maintain varnish on the dorade. Following Larry Pardey's recommendation I built the lid to be easily removable improving access to the hose barb and the bilge exhaust hose. I scribed the bottom edge of the box to to the camber of the deck so that the top is level.

28 Nov 13The primary effort for the last week or so has been to install the grey water tank and the Y valve that allows the Edson model 117 manual bilge pump to pull water from either the grey water tank or the bilge sump. I had the grey water tank built by Dura-Weld who also made the four water tanks we installed aboard the Far Reach. I tried to keep the grey water tank design as simple possible since it did not have to be very large. It's 10"x10"x18" and holds about 6.5 gallons. Grey water from the sitz tub, the forward head sink, and the icebox drain into the tank. The tank is pumped overboard by the Edson manual pump. The tank needed to be installed below the cabin sole between the galley sink cabinet and the chart table/icebox. I wanted to install the tank in such a way that I would be able to see the bilge sump, there would be clear access for the bilge pump hose to reach the sump, and I could clear the hose easily if it were to become fouled with debris. I wanted the components of the tank's support bracket near the sump to be made of fiberglass so any inadvertent flooding would not make contact with wood (especially plywood) parts. I had some scrap fiberglass parts that I was able to repurpose for this project. I split some rectangular tubing into L shaped brackets on my table saw and secured them in place with thickened epoxy and biaxial tape about 8" above the bilge sump. Next, I made a template and used it to cut a shelf from 1/4" fiberglass flat sheet stock I had left over from another project. I epoxied on some "L" shaped pieces of fiberglass to the shelf to hold the bottom edge of the tank in place. Then, I epoxied into the hull plywood "knees" or brackets to which I could bolt the tank sleeve to. Next I made a tank sleeve from 1/2" BS 1088 scrap and use the stitch and glue method to bond the parts together. I dado'ed some slots and used fasteners and epoxy to secure "wings" to the sleeves that I could bolt to the knees I previously epoxied to the hull. Once everything was cured, I test fit and then drilled two holes through the wings and knees and installed 1/4" bolts with nylon lock nuts to hold the sleeve in place. The grey water tank was installed. Photo gallery below.

After installing the grey water tank I needed to install the Jabsco "Y" diverter valve. I picked this particular valve for two reasons: 1) it has adjustable intake hose barbs--they swivel, and 2) it was top rated by Practical Sailor. As mentioned previously, the Y valve allows the Edson manual bilge pump to be used either to pump out the grey water tank or the bilge sump. The question that needed to be addressed was where the valve should be located. I had waffled back and fourth between installing the valve under the starboard watch seat or under the cabin sole. I finally decided to install it under the watch seat as it would be much easier to access and because the hose ran through the locker any way. However, to align properly with the intake hose barb on the manual pump and the exit holes on the front of the watch seat locker the pump would need to be installed in such a way that it would be tilted down--this is where the swivelling hose barbs on the Y valve come in handy. To do that I used the scrap center hole ( about 3" thick and about 4" across) I cut out of the trim for the Refleks heater flue. I cut a bevel on this pad of wood and epoxied it to the hull on the bottom of the locker. Next I cut a larger diameter cirlce from 3/4" cut-off of African mahogany large enough to fit the base of the valve. I dilled holes for three 1/4" bolts and epoxied them in place. I then screwed the base to the beveled pad I had already epoxied to the hull and installed the valve on the base. It's a nice fit and I can remove it for maintenance if required. I temporarily installed the hoses and left them a little long till I am ready to cut them to fit. I'll also need to install chafe guards. But, this project is essentially complete. Photo gallery below.

15 Nov 2013I spent today milling and installing the teak seat in the sitz tub. It's a classic example of something with asymmetric angles being more difficult than if it were symmetrical and more rectangular. Anyway, I installed teak cleats and the seat. I still need to install a couple of small brackets to hold the seat in place so it can't slide off yet still be easily lifted up and flipped over to dry. The grey water tank arrived today and it will be installed under the cabin sole at the bottom of the companionway just forward of the landing for the ladder. The head sink, sitz tub and ice box will drain into the grey water tank

The teak seat is installedin the sitz tub.

The grey water tank for the head sink, sitz tub, icebox waste water.

14 Nov 13I spent a few hours today finishing up the trim to hide the scupper hose that drains the starboard side cockpit seat to the cockpit footwell. It's an awkward hose to deal with as it is difficult to hide without interfering with the limited room associated with the quarter berth while also leaving enough room for the bilge pump handle. The angular shape draws some attention but by incorporating mahogany staving, consistent with the rest of the interior trim, it mostly blends in with its surrounding. I was able to start working on the cleats that will support the teak seat in the sitz tub but personal business precluding further work today.

12 Nov 13For the last few days I have been installing some small pieces of trim. I had to mill a little more mahogany staving but it only took a few hours. However, the fitting of the plywood and the gluing up of the staving is more time consuming. I installed trim under the heater. I also glued up a solid mahogany platform for the heater to sit on, throwing out the temporary plywood one that it sat on for over a year. I installed a staving panel behind the bilge plump which allows me to install a hidden shelf behind it. I am also working on another diagonal panel that will hide the cockpit scupper line that drains the cockpit seat into the foot well. It is an akward hose to hide but I think it will work out and blend in with the overall look of the interior--in otherwords I dont think it will even be noticed. There are other small trim pieces to add here and there. I am waiting on a set of planer blades (on back order for two months) since mine are worn out and I have already sharpened them by hand several times. I want a sharp set of blades before I start milling the walnut for the cain sole.

I added a panel with staving under the heater shelf.

I installed the vertical panel behind the bilge pump. It allows me to build a hidden shelf behind the panel. I will add a diagonal panel to hide the scupper hose fro the cockpit seat to the foot well. The hose is no intalledin this photo but you can see the hose barp in the upper left corner.

The plumbing for the sitz tub is 95 percent complete. Over the last couple of days I drilled the holes for the water line from the dedicate 20 gallon sitz tub water tank (located in the port cockpit locker) to the sitz tub. I drilled holes through the required bulkheads and then coated the edge grain with several coats of epoxy. I drilled the holes large enough to accommodate chafing guards (larger diameter hose) so the water line will be protected from chafe and abrasion. I routed the line and secured the hose over the hose barbs--one at the tank end and the other on a ball valve. The pvc ball valve is locate on a hose in the compartment that contains a pump up spray bottle. The hose extend and retracts like the ones in a house hold sink. The idea is the gravity fed tank will allow filling of the spray bottle via the ball valve. Hot water is added from the stove, via a tea kettle, and the bottle is pumped up and the shower is taken. The water drains to a grey water tank which is pumped overboard via the primary Edson bronze bilge pump through a selector "Y" valve. Simple. I still need to install hose clamps.

3 Nov 13Progress has been steady since the last post though we took about 8 days off for a family vacation to FL. We swam in the pool, lounged in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, walked on the sugar white beach and generally just had great family time. Since the last post we completed the bulwarks (the last big complicated multi-phase project), finished up the sitz tub trim (minus the seat and varnish), installed the kerosene tap, and completed a large part of the plumbing installation.
The last tasks to complete on the bulwarks were to paint the cap rail and install the hawse pipes. My sister offered to paint the cap rail while were gone--a wonderful gift. She applied two coats of Interlux Prime Kote followed by three coats of white Interlux Brightside. What a difference it made. I fit the hawse pipes before we left for FL so it was not a difficult project to complete when we returned. I bedded them with 3M 4000 UV. I may try painting the white bedding compound around the hawse pipes with some blue paint though it is barely noticeable. I think the white cap rail around the blue helps to make the bulwarks look more integral to the boat vice an add-on element. Total bulwark height, from the deck, is 6 3/4" tall. The two part manganese bronze hawse pipes were cast for me by Mystic River Foundry from patterns made and used by the Pardey's on Taleisin.

The bulwarks are complete.

I bedded the hawse pipe with 3M 4000UV. I'll attempt the touch up the bedding compound with some blue paint.

Completing the trim on around the sitz tub took some time and a lot of head scratching. I installed the ash ceiling about six weeks ago but had not installed the vertical mahogany trim along the outboard edge of the staving nor had I determined how I would cover the horizontal steel flange to which the pad-eye chain plates are through bolted. The steel flange is about 30" long "L" shaped with the flat side glassed in under in the inward turning deck flange with the vertical part projecting downward about 2" and about 2" inboard of the hull itself. It is an awkward shape with lots of different angles. As I often do when faced with a project that does not offer a clear solution, I moved on to something else while I continued to think about and consider various options. Nonetheless, the time had come where I needed to complete the trim. I made the vertical trim along the staving out of African Mahogany which matches the staving. Next, I made a box to cover the steel flange out of solid mahogany milling the horizontal piece, which you can't see in the photo, to 1/4" thick. I cut a dado in the vertical part of the box into which I inserted the 1/4" piece into the slot--this covered the flange from view when looking up while seated in the tub. I measured all the dimensions, cut accordingly, and test fit. It was very satisfied. Then, I glued up the two pieces and installed them with bronze screws. I will remove all the trim later for varnish work but for now I consider it complete. The "box," as well as the ceiling, removes easily and allows inspection of the chain plate nuts and bolts, etc.

The trim behind and above the sitz tub is complete though varnish is still required.

I had been wondering where I would install the tap for the kerosene for a long time. The kerosene tank, located in the starboard side cockpit locker, runs directly to the Refleks heater which is located at the forward end of the saloon on the starboard side. I wanted to install a tap on the fuel line so that I can more easily fill our kerosene nav lights and interior lamps. I did not want to have to deal with the lamp, funnel and a separate fuel can trying to keep all three under control while the boat is rolling around.

The tap on the fuel line between the kerosene tank and the refleks heater.

The real challenge was to determine the best location to install the tap. It needed to be near the companionway and below the bottom of the kero tank as it is a gravity fed system. There were a number of more convenient locations but all guaranteed to tear the skin off our shins and be a hazard to our movement inside the boat. Finally, the only solution that seemed like a reasonable compromise was behind the companionway ladder. It's not perfect, but is out of the way. You can sit on the watch seat and fairly easily hold a lamp to the spigot and work the ball valve handle. If it proves to be unsatisfactory I have one more option which is to place it where the "T" fitting is now on the outboard side of the bulkhead where the spigot is located. It will interfere with maintenance on the bilge pump but it is an option. Let's hope the current location is the right answer.

I had a lot of requirements for the plumbing: simple and easy to repair; easy to remove the water tanks for cleaning and maintenance; clean tasting water; and durable. Since the water is pulled by manual pumps--one at the galley and one at the head sink--pasteurization was a not an issue. For a while I thought the solution was to use PVC pipe for the water lines. It is very durable, inexpensive, and easy to repair. But there were too many angles and it began to look like it would be a puzzle to put it together given the location of the components. I briefly thought about PEX but discarded the idea as too expensive for a non-pressurized system. I did not want to use vinyl hose because it can leave a bad taste and, because it is clear, algae can grow in it. Then, I discovered that Trident Marine makes a reinforced flexible 1/2" water hose that has a white liner in it to block light. It is only for non pressurized systems. It cost .56 cents per foot. It's very flexible. So, that is what I went with. I installed 1/2" PVC ball valves, that I bought at Lowes, to the pick up tubes on the tanks. I installed threaded 1/2" hose barbs to the ball valves. I used thick walled 1" diameter Trident Marine sanitation hose I had laying around as scrap for chaffing guards. There were three spots under the settee that would chafe the hose as it ran along side of and contacts the "knees" to which the cabin sole beams are bolted. This would be a high chafe area. To address it, I cut some 1/4" ply, drilled appropriate holes for the chaffing guards, sealed the edges with epoxy and screwed them to the knees--later I'll paint them grey. I ran the water line through these guards to prevent contact with the knees. I still need to order hose clamps but the lines are run and the installation is nearly complete.

PVC ball valves, hose barbs, and 1/2" Trident Marine water line. I still need to install the SS hose clamps.

6 Oct 13Several projects are going at the same time. The focus, however, has been on the bulwarks. There were numerous steps and without blueprints everthing has to be thought out and I don't like to rush when I am on unfamilar terrain. So, the progress has not been fast but it has been methodical. We are not finished with the bulwarks but we are very close--another coat or two of blue paint, install the hawse pipes, and paint the trim white and check it off the list. My last few posts detailed the milling and fitting the horizontal "strakes" that comprise the main part of the bulwarks. This post describes the installation of the strakes, the cap rail, the hawespipes and the first coat of paint. The bulwarks are 6 3/4" tall from deck to the top of the cap rail and that includes the one inch gap between the deck and the bottom edge of the bulwark.

The first coat of Interlux Brightside in dark blue.

After completing the priming of both sides of the strakes and the application of two coats of white Interlux Brightsides to the inboard side, the next step was to install the strakes using Dolphinite where the strakes laid up next to the bulwark support brackets and between the strakes and the amidships white oak butt block. . I chose Dolphinite because it does not make a sticky mess and it is easy to apply. It remains soft and pliable and also has an anti-fungicide in it that makes it more difficult for rot to get started. It also makes it much easier to take wood construction apart for repair. I gooped it onto the bonze plates with a putty knife. When we tightened the bolts that that hold the strakes to the bronze plates we had plenty of time to scoop up the squeeze out. In fact, you can then put the squeeze out in a cup and reuse it. However, I did use a very small bead of 3m 4000UV along each side of the “tongue” of the lower strake where it fits into the upper strake. Once the butt block for the amidships joint was bolted up, I installed the wood plugs and we were ready for the cap rail.
I wanted the cap rail to be one continuous piece of wood which meant it needed to be about 37 feet long? That required several scarfs which were completed without fanfare. I cut the scarfs same as the other using my scarfing jig and I glued them up with resorcinol adhesive after laying them out in my garage from the side that contains the cars, through the double door, and into my wood shop. After the scarfs were cured we needed to mill them to the correct dimension which was a challenge. I had never milled anything 37 feet long which meant I need 37 feet for the in-feed and the same for the out-feed. My sister proved to be a big help as it required some finesse to keep from breaking them as they were feed through and then out the planer. After we milled them to ¾” by 1 1/16” I applied two coats of Kirby’s red lead pain to what would be the underside of the cap rail. A couple of days later we clamped them in place and cut and radiused the ends to match the end pieces that we previously cut and fit to the strakes.
We clamped the cap rails in place and drilled holes and counter such the screws every eight inches. We then removed the cap rails and applied Dolphinite to the top of the bulwark. I gooped the Dolphinite into a big syringe and used that as a caulking gun. It worked great. We gently lowered the cap rail in place and drove the #10 1 ½” long SS screws home. We cleaned up the Dolphinite and used the squeeze out for the cap rail on the other side of the boat. Next, I installed about 50 wood plugs per side then trimmed them and sanded them flush. Next, I took the trim router with a 3/8" round over bit and guide bearing and radiused the top edges.

The next task was to drill the holes in the hawse pipes for the bolts that would secure them to the bulwarks. Mystic River Foundry cast the two part hawse pipes for me from Lin and Larry Pardey’s patterns used on Taleisin. They did a great job and were reasonably priced. After deciding on the hole patterns I wanted (I used one pattern for the hawse pipes that would be located at the fore and aft ends of the bulwarks and another pattern for the amidships hawse pipes that sits astride the butt joint. I make a little plywood jig that I cut by tracing the footprint of the hawse pipe on a piece of ¼” ply scrap. I measured out the hole pattern and drilled it using a drill press. I laid the template on each side of the hawse pipe and drilled the holes one side at a time. I use a smaller bit than the 3/16” machine bolt required because I needed to tap what would be the inboard flange of the two part hawse pipe. Then, I drilled out the outboard side with a 3/16” bit. Next, I countersunk the outboard holes so the machine screws would fit flush. This was not a complicated project and just took a few hours. I knew that get a screw to perfectly line up with the holes would be difficult so I spent about two hours hand filing 36 2 ½” long bronze machine screws to a point so they would essentially “seek” the hole and “self-align.” With the hawse pipes drilled and tapped I was ready to cut the holes in the bulwarks to accommodate them.

One I determined where the hawse pipes would be located, I cut backing blocks from African Mahogany. They were 8 7/8” long x 4 ¼” wide x 7/8” thick. I clamped the backing blocks to the bulwarks and placed one side of the hawse pipe in the location I wanted to install them. I traced the outer edge of the spigot onto the bulwark and used a 1 ½” holesaw to cut three adjoining holes. I cut the peaks of the holes out with a jig saw and then used my cabinet rasps to file them smooth and put a radius on the edge. It took a little while to get the holes just right but with minimal work it was accomplished to my satisfaction. With the two halves of the hawse pipe in place (one on each side of the bulwark) I marked the holes. To ensure I was drill square I removed the backing blocks with the inboard half of the hawse pipe and drilled the holes for the inboard side in my shop with the drill press.
I reclamped the backing block in place and drilled the holes for the outboard side meeting the previously drilled holes on the inboard side in the middle of the bulwark. I used a little wooden block that I held next to the drill bit while drilling to ensure I was drilling square and plumb. It sounds complicated but it was a very straightforward and easy to accomplish task. The bolts that I tapered with a file worked perfectly. Once I had installed all six hawse pipes I removed them and prepared the bulwarks for painting. To help get a good seal for the bedding compound I used a laminate router with a cove bit to cut a calking grove around each hole. The caulking grove will be under the flange of the hawse pipe (one on each side) and will ensure that when I tighten the flanges down I can’t squeeze out all the bedding compound. Once the painting is accomplished I will apply bedding compound and install the hawse pipes.

After completing the test fit for the hawse pipes I applied some epoxy fairing compound to a few places on the bulwarks where I had dinged them up. I sanded those places smooth along with the numerous wood plugs in the vertical face and then taped off the cap rail with green 3m 233 tape. The cap rail will be painted white while the outboard face of the bulwarks will be dark blue. Next, I vacuumed the bulwarks and deck, wiped down the bulwarks with Interlux 303, and then Gayle and I applied the first of what will be several coats of Dark Blue Interlux Brightside. I have used Brightside before and it is great paint. It is slick, self levels, and appears to be pretty durable. It took about two hours to apply the first coat. After 24 hours to cure I'll lightly sand it with 220 and then apply another coat.

The first coat of dark blue Interlux Brightside on the bulwark.

15 Sept 13I have been looking for a used 70lb Luke three piece storm anchor for a couple of years. Since we are getting pretty close to launching the boat we needed to acquire this behemoth so we could build a dedicated spot in the bilge to store it. Also, since I removed about 500lbs of engine and transmission I need the weight back where the engine was located to help keep the boat in trim. I also have a spare 35lp CQR to store along with it so there will be plenty of weight when combined with the 10 gallon kerosene and 20 gallon shower water tanks. Since I had not located the Luke on line, I decided to place a wanted add in the online newspaper (towndock.net) in Oriental, NC which is not far from where we live. There are a lot of sailboats there and I just knew someone had one they no longer needed. Sure enough, two weeks after I placed the add I received a phone call from a fellow that owns a Gozzard 36. He was looking for home for his 70lb Luke. He bought it new 20 years ago and it had never been in the water. He sold it for more than he paid for it and I got it for less than half of what a new one would cost me today. It was a good deal for both of us. Check that item off the list.

This is a massive anchor--70 pounds and nearly four feet tall.

For the past week or so I have been focused on the bulwarks. Since my last post we scarfed the mahogany for the upper strake and temporarily installed it. I took some time to think about how to finish the ends and how I would complete the bulwark trim. I made some drawing and generally just thought about the options as we worked on other smaller projects. Once I had a plan I built a pattern to serve as a template for cutting and trimming the ends of the bulwarks at the bow and stern. We removed the strakes and laid them out in the shop. I traced the template on the bulwarks and rough cut them with my Bosh jig saw. Next, I clamped the template in place and using my router with a pattern cutting bit I cut the excess away leaving a perfectly smooth cut line. I made up some trim pieces that cover the ends and will tie in with the 7/8" tall cap rail. I reinstalled the bulwarks to look at the cuts. It is a gentle radiused end for both the bow and the stern. I'll add the trim pieces on the ends and the cap rail. As I mentioned before, the end pieces, the cap rail, and the inboard side will be painted white. The outboard side of the strakes will be dark blue.

I think the new bulwarks are looking great. Then will be blue on the outside with a white cap rail and end pieces.

Satisfied with the radiused ends, I removed the strakes again and began the process of painting them. In a perfect world they would be made of Burmese teak. But that would have run about $2000. Instead, the African Mahogany cost about $350. The mahogany is lightweight, reasonably strong, and takes paint well. They are also easy to glue for scarfing. The one concern is rot caused my water/moisture getting between the bronze stanchion plates and the mahogany and between the oak butt blocks and the mahogany. I decided to try something with a nod towards tradition. I bought a quart of red lead paint from Kirby's and used it to prime the mahogany wherever it would be covered by butt blocks, stanchion plates, and the tongue and groove. It's expensive but the wood boat community swears by it. The first thing you notice about it is that is about twice as heavy as regular paint. Its impressive. Anyway, I applied two coats. Next, I applied two coats of Interlux Prime-Kote sanding with 120 between coats then I sanded with 220 and applied the first of what will be several coats of white Interlux Brightside to the inboard side of the strakes.

To complete the flue assembly for the Refleks kerosene heater I needed a heat shield for the deck collar. The deck plate head shield only extends about 1 1/2" below the deck surface. The deck plate sits on a scribed teak deck pad about two inches high. The deck is about an inch thick, then there is an air gap between that and the overhead panel, and then there is another scribed mahogany pad on the inside of the cabin. Those interior surfaces need a heat shield to protect them from the high temps that will occur inside the flue. Last week I made a mock up of what I wanted and took it to a local fabricator. I think they did a very average low end kind of job. I was not happy but that was the best I was going to get from them. I had planned to just screw the shield to the inside pad and be done with it. But, it was not up to our standard. So, I thought about it for a little while and decided I could cover it with a teak trim piece. I traced the shield out and then use a trim bit in my small trim router and cut out the area to be recessed, just like you would mortise a set of hinges. Then I screwed the interior pad to the overhead, the shield to the pad, and the trim piece over the shield plate with some bronze oval head screws. I will eventually varnish the pad but leave the teak bare. It looks good.

2 Sept 13The past few days were spent trimming in the tub and building the toilet seat and spay bottle lids. I also installed ash ceiling behind the tub next to the hull. I used Burmese Teak for the all the trim and horizontal surfaces in the head. I installed butt hinges for the bottom toilet seat but I had to order two more blank (undrilled) hinges after boogering up my only pair that supports the top seat. Actually, I drilled them out perfectly except I chamfered the holes on the wrong side of the hinge. I took some solace in the fact that the way the hinge is mounted for the top seat lid requires the chamfering on the opposite side of the hinge as is normally the case. It was a moment of inattention. Nothing to do about it except to order another set. Yesterday, Tricia and I glued up some additional teak for the seat next to the double berth in the forward cabin and the watch seat near the companionway. Hopefully we will install them today. We also ripped the mahogany for the top bulwark strake and will cut and glue up the scarfs today. Our fifth year of homeschool starts today. It is a privilege to be able to teach your own children. I continue to teach history and science and Gayle teaches everything else. Though it is a lot of work, it's one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. The kids are smart (they continue to score in the 97th to 99th percentile on the Iowa National standardized test that we administer every year), interested in learning, and keep you on your toes. I also think they have benefited from skipping out on all the shenanigans associated with public middle school, not to mention public bullying as a sport. People always ask us about the loss of social interaction as if all social interaction is a good thing. I don't see much value in the social interplay that goes on among young teens many of whom get the vast amount of their knowledge from unsupervised access to smart phones, non stop texting, and a barrage of the Hollywood and celebrity world view. I think a lot of folks think that home school kids live in a vacuum. Our kids have friends, social activities, and go everywhere we go. They meet people, ask questions, listen to conversations and state their opinions. They are voracious readers. And because they are used to us teaching them they see us as valuable sources of information so they ask us questions non home schooled kids might not ask their parents . . . we are still their most important source of information. The end state is not to raise a great kid, but a great adult. Hopefully, we will accomplish that goal.

Most of the stiz tub and head area are complete.