Okay, just a really quick update because we're so busy!!! Our countdown is serious now.... aiming for a July 12th launch date (though within a week will be miraculous, I think.) We need a place to live once my mom moves in early July, so we decided to get the boat all set minus rigging, launch her and move aboard for the final few weeks while we complete the rigging stuff. So we'll be a powerboat for a while, at least we'll be aboard (although we still need to find a slip space in Portland for a few weeks...anyone know of one we could borrow?)!!

So: Neil's finished with the interior cabinetry and it looks wonderful. Now he's working on the sole (that's the floor for you non-sailors): all the cleats or whatever you call the wood that holds the sole access hatches in were rotted: he's removing them all and building new mahogany ones (originals were plywood) as well as fixing a soft area in the aft cabin. Then he'll install the brand new sole in the areas that were really badly damaged, which we removed over a year ago. As soon as he's done, I'm ready to swoop in with the varnish. I'm counting on 8 or 9 days to varnish the whole interior, while Neil works on modifying the salon table to fit the new space, the engine, prop, cutlass bearing, rudder installation, and more.

This week: our friend Fred is buffing the hull, my brother Chris and I are installing a new stainless rubstrake, and I'm finalizing the name and hail designs. It's very convenient to have a dad with an architecture office where I can print out the name full-size to try on the boat. it looks so different in real life than on the computer screen! My first attempt was waaaay to big. Back for round two tonight. I'd really love to have it hand-painted but my hand just isn't good enough and the pros charge too much! So it'll be a vinyl decal for us. Here's where I am with it right now:

The countdown...