Thirty Days and Counting

Thirty days and counting to the EC, the B&B Yachts Grand Diva is looking great. The deck is all on, the hull is ready for primer and paint, the deck is ready for glass cloth, the cockpit coaming is ready for installation, the installation of the recessed hatches is going very well, and the paint and hardware parts are here and waiting their turn. Her lines are beautiful, a seemingly perfect balance of rocker yet still shaped like a rocket. It’s clear she’s going to be absolutely perfect.

However, in spite of our best efforts, last night Paul and I found ourselves forced to shift strategies as we believe we have run out of time to finish her for this EC.

It is hard to know exactly how much more time is needed. We could be 15-30 days from the launch and some additional time is needed for at least one shake-down cruise and possible adjustments for comfort. The time has come for attention to be given to other aspects of preparing and training for the EC.

The turning point was when I realized that we were beginning to consider compromises based on ‘how long it will take’ rather than on what we really wanted. Good craftsmanship takes time.
So it’s time to switch gears. I need to relax and get my head focused on the challenge. Paul needs to get his life back. My free time now needs to be spent on other things; organizing gear, working on navigation, continued training sessions, packing, etc… There’s lots to do to get ready.

We will continue to work on the new kayak as time allows, of course, because boat building is fun. It should be ready to launch later in the spring or early summer, finished in a much more relaxed and enjoyable manner.

I’m all trained up in the NDK Explorer and it’s ready to go, so it’s really the obvious choice now. I’m lucky to have a choice. My Kruger Dreamcatcher is getting a bit lonely, maybe the MR340 in August…