50. Birth of the boat

Well, that is what it felt like, watching the Grey Falcon coming out of the workshop. Yes, I know, it was a breach birth (it came out backwards!).

What a day though. I moved the machinery around the room to accomodate the boat which was on dolly wheels. George the crane man arrived with his ‘small’ crane and fed it slowly into the courtyard. Not phased by any of this, which was comforting to a nervous boatbuilder, the boat was lifted high, turned around and lowered slowly onto it’s shiny trailer. All this ably accompanied by Shelley, James, Michael and even James’s daughter Holly.

All we then had to do was adjust the ‘beds’ that the boat sat on, connect up the Hi-lux and drive it away. The destination was the new garage where the boat will live.

There is still a month of finishing to do with coats of clear paint (think varnish without the oil and no colour pigment). Both the cabin and the hull need a final sand/rubdown and they will be super-shiny. Then the final fix of the chromewear, windscreen etc and we will be off for the ‘sea trials’.

A great day by any counts. Many thanks to all involved.