A month?

I can't believe it is a month since I posted - time flies when you are having fun I guess. Colin and Nichola on Emerald will be feeling good, having posted more than me!  This picture shows the varnished galley, with the fridge fitted (its the black bit).  It is a Waeco 30l compressor fridge drawer, the compressor can be moved off the back of the unit and we have mounted that away from the fridge compartment.

Having had a dose of the flu, just when the swine flu was breaking, was less than exciting, I lost about a week of work.  Bill made me wear a mask all the time - which he had decorated as a pig's snout.  While I was flopping around wishing I was somewhere tropical, he was making progress on a few time consuming but worthwhile jobs.  This shot shows the chart table, tucked into the corner between the head and the bulkhead on the forward side of the engine room.  It should work well, lots of space to throw junk!

I cut the 108mm hole for the rudder bearing and have had the rudder stock machined.  We left it in one long piece so we could align the top bearings with the shoe on the skeg.  One cold morning last week we had a panic when I couldn't get the stock to turn after I bolted on the shoe.  We found that the skeg had bent quite a few mm as there was lovely warm sun on one side, while the other side was frosty cool.  Once I hung a cover up and allowed the hot side to cool off, all was well.

So the rudder shaft is now in place, our stainless wizard Sam will turn up next week possibly and we will tack the frame of the rudder in place.  Hopefully nexct blog we will see a rudder hanging off the boat!

Bill has also fitted the door surrounds to the head and the forward cabin.  I am trying to follow up with varnish and paint in the weekends, with a little success.