SEAYANIKA - Cal Vader 49

FINAL YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION

11/03/02 Aft Cabin Jeez how time flies when you're not paying attention. Since my last update, Erik and I went to Hawaii for a week for R&R. We took a couple of "cruises" while there to help give Erik some more motivation. So, he was raring to get back to work when we returned. Erik has been working on the aft cabin among other things. The washer/dryer cabinet is complete and he has installed drawers and a hanging locker on the starboard side. Inside the locker he installed cedar planking and it sure smells good. (See the new photos on the photo page.) He has also started work on the computer/nav station in the aft cabin, mostly just the sole area and the beginnings of the bulkhead/table. The transom structure is finished right down to paint, but the steps in the transom still have to be fabricated. Lea, has had the never-ending task of following behind Erik to varnish whatever he installs, and to build up the coats of varnish on the exterior teak. She's been a great sport about all the monotony. We just received the dorade vents we ordered about two months ago at Marine Depot. They were on backorder, but were worth the wait. They are gorgeous! Today, in spite of being Sunday, Erik is down in the workshop building the dorade vent boxes. (Of course at the same time he is watching football, golf, and the Nascar races.)

1/14/03 Misc. Stuff Carumba! Here I go again letting too much time pass by without adding an update. Quite a few advancements have been made in the past couple of months. Erik has been working on several different projects in different areas of the boat. He has fabricated beautiful hatches for the lazarette, forward anchor locker and propane locker. They have teak frames, teak planking like the deck and are fibreglassed on the inside. The difficult part was cambering them to match the deck. The 'furniture' in the aft cabin is totally in, including the veneer and fiddles. The washer/dryer has been set into its cabinet. In the forward stateroom, Erik has installed half of the mahogany ceiling, which are planks on the sides of the hull above the berths. (Not to be confused with the 'ceiling' in a house.) He has completed all work on the bow pulpit including the teak frame and decking, the anchor rollers and the stainless steel rails. Today, Erik is beginning work with the Formica. He has made all his measurements for his cuts and will be installing it in the passageway between the main salon and aft stateroom and also on some horizontal surfaces. Meanwhile, I have decided to do the upholstery myself and have signed up for an upholstery class at the local community college. (I hope this isn't a mistake!) I purchased material, similar to Ultra Leather at a fraction of the cost, from a company in Fullerton, CA, called Enduratex. I will be attempting to duplicate the seats and cushions found in the new Hunter 46's. It is really plush and doesn't look too difficult. We went to the San Diego Boat Show last Friday and I managed to get lots of 'spy' photos of the Hunter's interior.

1/22/03 Trim Trim, trim and more trim. Seems like all we've been doing this past week. Erik has finally taught me new skills. He is allowing me to make mahogany plugs on the drill press, glue them into the screw holes, saw them off with a handy-dandy Japanese hand saw and sand them down to smooth perfection. I feel like I'm making more of a contribution to the construction progress. As Erik installs pieces of trim, I follow behind him doing my "plug" work. The formica is installed throughout Seayanika and I have also begun taping off portions of the boat for final varnishing. There is still quite a bit of work to be done in the main salon (read that, all of the furniture), but Erik is leaving this for last, as the salon is his 'production' area. I begin my upholstery class today and hope I have the patience and talent to do good work.

1/31/03 Volunteer Help! Yeah! Volunteers! Tom, who has been following our progress in Latitude 38 and on this website, contacted us and volunteered to lend a hand. How could we resist? Well, he came today and cheerfully spent six hours in a grueling sanding-athon with me, with nary a complaint. And, as he has his own boat, he has a good eye for the quality needed, and did a great job! (Now notice that I didn't provide his last name or where he lives. Can you imagine how many requests for free labor the poor guy would receive if I had?) Tom, thanks for all your help!

2/5/03 Forward Cabin We're just about ready to close off the forward cabin because it's almost done! All the cabinets, hanging locker and trim pieces are in. The two drawers and hanging locker door will be fabricated later in the shop, and more varnish needs to be applied. Sunday Erik installed the cabin sole in the forward cabin. Instead of the traditional teak and holly, he is fabricating the sole for Seayanika with walnut and beech. And it's beautiful! Yesterday Erik was working on the 'Library'. He finished the back of the library settee which was giving him problems because of the curves. In upholstery news, well -- I've nearly finished the small cushion for the forward cabin's seat. It's taking me longer than expected because I'm not sure what I'm doing and have to hold up progress until I can ask the teacher. In fact, here's a picture of me doing just that...getting advise from the upholstery teacher (another Eric). Last night I cut the pattern for the library footwell cushion (with husband Erik's help). I find it very confusing to design a pattern with all the angles involved. But I'll keep plodding along and I'm sure eventually it will get easier.

2/16/03 Rain Delays It rained almost all week, which kept us from spending much time on the boat. Instead, Erik worked in his shop. He made the second lexan hatch cover for the opening to starboard of the companionway. He also fabricated the hatch slide piece for the companionway. I guess as soon as he makes the drop boards, Seayanika should be mostly watertight. Yesterday, we finally were able to get some interior work done. Erik was busy sanding the recently installed cabin sole in the library, and I was occupied in the companionway and aft cabin, sanding, tack ragging and varnishing. Our friend Tracy, who I suppose has felt a little left out of Seayanika's actual construction (although she has been of invaluable help in other ways), came over to lend a hand. She organized and vacuumed the center area of the boat, and helped glue and fit walnut plugs into the cabin sole. I've finished three cusions for Seayanika (including the starboard side of the V-berth) and am almost done with the port V-berth cushion. Yeah! They actually fit and look professional. Wonders never cease to amaze me!

3/21/03 Sole/Upholstery All I can say for myself (as an excuse for why I haven't been updating this page more often) is that I've been really busy. I spent a week in Mazatlan (because I had to get some sun) and I've been otherwise occupied making the cushions and attending my upholstery class. Just to prove how busy I've been -- I only have one more cushion to make! Yesterday we brought all the cushions up for the forward stateroom and the library. They all fit!! And they look absolutely great in there with the finished cabin sole. I've added new photos with the upholstery to the 'Photo' page. Erik, meanwhile, has been installing chain plates on the starboard side and cutting, fitting and attaching the cabin sole in the aft cabin. So, check out the new photos and see how busy we've been.

4/13/03 In the Bilge For the past couple of days Erik has been hiding in the bilge in the main cabin. I'm assuming he's been working down there. He has pulled up the cabin sole and is attaching the fuel tanks to starboard slats. I believe the dual purpose of this excercise is to keep the tanks off the floor of the bilge compartment to facilitate draining, and also to keep the tanks from moving about down below. He has also been cutting hatches in the sole in the locations where he'll need easy access. After he is done with these preparations, he'll be starting on the one area I've been whining about...my GALLEY! In the past couple of weeks he has also installed the salon settee, the icemaker, and done tons of varnish prep and application. For my part, now that the upholstery is finished, I have sewn the curtains for the main salon, library and companionway, but still have to make the curtains for the aft cabin and heads. Unrelated to Seayanika, Erik has asked me to make cusions for our 22' fishing boat, and I am about half way done with that project. Hopefully, if Erik doesn't get sidetracked, my next report will be about the galley cabinetry. Yippee!

4/28/03 Pacific Sail Expo Ok, we're not in the galley yet, but soon. We've just returned from Pacific Sail Expo where we were invited by Sail America to conduct a couple of boatbuilding seminars. We met many people that had attended the show just to hear about Seayanika and our progress. Some of them were doing similar projects and had brought pictures to show us. It's great to know there are other crazy people out there! At the show we also had the opportunity to check out some new products, and visit with our vendors. The photo here is of us with one of our favorite vendors, IMTRA, who is a constant source of great ideas. From left: Chip, Erik, Dick, Katriana & Jerry. One of our major purchases was a 6-person Viking liferaft which will be shipped to us shortly. But now, it's back to the grindstone. I'm confident there will be tons of progress to report in the next couple of weeks.

5/21/03 Stuff Ahem...no galley to report on yet. Seems there are other jobs that have to be completed first. One of the least enjoyable (in my eyes), is that I had to spend over two weeks repairing sun damage to the bulwarks. This entailed scraping, sanding, taping, varnishing, more sanding, more varnishing, repeat, repeat, repeat, then removing the tape. The main reason I didn't like doing this work was because it was a maintenance chore, and contributed nothing towards the actual progress. Two steps forward, one step back. Erik has been working on the transom installing the fish locker there. Yesterday I painted what he had finished. Last Saturday we had a work party and installed the rudder (finally!). We had to dig a 5-ft deep hole and eight friends came by to help lift it into place. No, we didn't need eight people to lift the rudder, but as each person had a beer in one hand, it was like only having four people. Maybe it wasn't very efficient, but we had fun. (See the new photo on the 'Photo' page.) Since Saturday, Erik has been fabricating and installing rudder parts and should be done today. He says he'll be working in the aft head next, so I'm not sure when we're getting into the galley. I guess he's leaving that area for last so he has room in the middle of Seayanika to move and store equipment.

6/18/03 More Stuff Sounding like a broken record, but still no galley. I'm starting to get the feeling we'll be launching the boat, moving aboard...and, what, eating out a lot? But there has been some progress this month. As mentioned before the rudder was installed. After Erik looked at it over the course of a few days, he realized something was not right. He pulled out the drawings we have and found out it is too long and the bottom edge was slanted instead of straight. So, a couple of days ago, he got out his trusty saws all, and sliced off the offending piece of rudder. And now, he is re-fiberglassing the bottom. Again, two steps forward, one step back. I've been doing a fair amount of sanding and varnishing, and also mixing putty and epoxy for the fiberglassing and fairing of the aft head. It is just about ready for paint. We also completed a few instant gratification jobs this month. We fabricated and installed the headliner in the aft cabin, installed the recessed lighting, the rope lighting and the curtains. We also finished putting up the stainless steel rails (life lines) at the aft end of Seayanika. Erik has installed the steering mechanism (we have hydraulic steering), but since I'm not sure what all is involded, I don't know if he's done, almost done, or just started on the project. On a personal note, I'm going to be celebrating my 50th (yikes!) birthday next week. Since we were SUPPOSED to be spending my 50th in the Marquesas, (and obviously, we're not) I decided to bring the Marquesas to Vista. So we're having a blow-out Polynesian Pig Roast, complete with an 80 lb. oinker and the requirement that everyone arrive in appropriate Polynesian attire. (For anyone interested, I'll remember to get some photos and post them here.) Well, that's all the news for now. Aloha

6/26/03 Galley!! WOO-HOO! Finally started working on the galley! To get to this point, we had to permanently lay down the salon/galley plywood sole. That was a pretty entertaining job in itself. After applying some sort of glue-goop, the sole had to be attached with stainless steel screws with locking nuts -- from underneath! Needless to say, the access hatch areas are not that big, so guess who got to wiggle into the bilge (sometimes upside-down and backwards) through these little hatches, to install the washers and nuts? You've got it, little old claustrophobic me! I got so stuck into one area that Erik had to extricate me by lifting me straight up by the feet and twisting me so my hips (which are not large) could pass through the hatch. I guess you had to be there. Anyway, after the underlaying sole was permanently attached, he fabricated and installed the cabinet toe kicks, and then cut and fitted the walnut and beech galley sole. He tells me that it's easier to do the sole now, before the cabinets are installed. The past couple of days he has been making the face frames for the electrical panels and the freezer and refrigerator. Yesterday I had to primer coat the back of the frames and the hull areas behind them before installation. Of course, we ran out of paint, so we're waiting for the Port Supply van to deliver another gallon today. I can now see that the galley will be coming together fairly quickly so I should have some photos very soon. Speaking of photos, here are a couple from the pig roast. That's Erik on the left doing his imitation of a headhunder, and the photo on the right is of our good friends John & Rita, who are a constant souce of inspiration.

7/24/03 Galley Cont. Galley progress continues. After the toe kicks were installed and the galley and salon walnut and beech floor was permanently laid, serious cabinetry work began. One by one Erik fabricated the face frames and cabinets and installed them in the galley. As the cabinets went in, we immediately applied the veneer and gave them a couple coats of varnish to protect them. This past week he has been busy making trim pieces and I have been installing the screw hole plugs, cutting them off and sanding them. We also decided to use an off-white, iron-on veneer for the toe kicks and risers on the steps, so that was my job yesterday. Today Erik will do a road trip to buy some needed items while I begin a varnish-fest on the trim. I don't think much work will be done this upcoming weekend because I'll be in Phoenix and Erik will be helping out a friend doing some Bobcat work. Erik now says that Seayanika will definetely go in the water in September. I'm ready!

8/15/03 Lights Well, the galley woodwork is basically finished. Just a couple of fiddle rails and a bit more varnish. I've purchased the Corian (actually Staron) for the countertop, which is slightly lighter than the color we have for the heads. Erik thought a lighter color would work better with the mahogany. I haven't been helping on the boat for the past week because we've had houseguests, but Erik is plugging along. He's started hooking up all the electric - which began by installing our AC and DC panels. They look beautiful in their cabinet. He's also thinking about scheduling another work party to start preping the hull for paint. We still have many things to do before launching. September is looking sketchy to me. Aarg! There are so many details to building a boat!

9/15/03 Painting, etc. Still here...but making progress. Let's see - fiddle rails, varnish and corian countertops installed in the galley. Ditto for both the forward and aft head. We've finally made ourselves a list of everything that needs to be done before we launch. Ummmm - the list is looking pretty long! But at least Erik is getting the satisfaction of checking items off the list as he completes them. Last Friday was a good day for Seayanika. Our new (and very simpathetic) friends Tom & Karen, took a day out of their vacation(!) to lend us a hand. We sanded, scrubbed and cleaned Seayanika for hours, and then taped the waterline and toprail in preparation for hull primer. What would possess anyone to volunteer for such backbreaking work? Insanity? Or just crazed boat owners? Whatever the reason, we thank them for their hard work and comraderie - it was a fun day! (P.S. Tom & Karen - Erik primed the hull on Saturday and says we did a good job! Go Team!)

10/19/03 Set-back Carumba! One step forward, two steps back. After Erik sprayed the hull with primer, he saw how "wavy" the hull was. And, since he is bound and determined to paint Seayanika a glossy dark blue, every imperfection must be removed or it will show after final painting. So, I imagine you can guess what we've been doing for the past month. Epoxying, sanding, epoxying, sanding, epoxing, sanding, ad naseum. We may have a couple more weeks of the same until Erik determines that Seayanika will pass the perfectionist's test. On a lighter note, yesterday we received our Viking 6-person life raft. I know Erik is itching to open it up and see inside...but this is one package he'll just have to leave alone. In fact, I hope neither of us ever have to see what's inside. I have re-enrolled in the upholstery class and have been making two sets of outside window covers, one set with Sunbrella fabric, the other with some sort of, ummmm, sun-blocking-PVC-covered-vinyl-open-weaved fabric. While I was at it, I have also reupholstered the front seats of our Toyota pick-up which were looking pretty ratty. They actually look pretty good, but it wasn't a fun job. I've posted new galley photos to the "Photo" page. The galley is complete except for drawers and doors, and it looks beautiful. Check it out!

11/17/03 Pilothouse The horrible wildfires in San Diego County have prohibited us from continuing with the paint work on the hull. For nearly a week ash fell on the boat, and for a few days it was literally impossible to work outside because of all the smoke in the air. So Erik began work on the pilothouse. Because there are so many angles involved, he said it was a good thing he remembered his geometry and triganometry (sp?) from school. Now that he's finished with the framing, he will be moving the pilothouse down to the bodega for fiberglassing and finishing. I think our project for today is to clean up Seayanika and stage it for our next project, namely finishing up the aft head and aft cabin. Yep...that will include my absolute favorite task...lots of sanding. Yuck!

11/25/03 Launch Date? Hold on to your hats. Erik has set a launch date. JANUARY 17TH, 2004. He must be pretty confident about what's left to be done. So now it's time for me to get organized, make sure I get all the parts here he needs and decide our exact launch location. He's been working on the hydraulic windless system, the prop shafting and this morning he is installing the bow thruster motor. We have put a general call out for help to anyone we could think of who might be willing to spare a few hours to help out. There are always those jobs that require more than one (or two) people, and of course, there's always the never-ending sanding, painting and varnishing. We are accepting all applicants who can walk and breathe simultaneously. I've only got one coat left of varnish to apply in the aft head before I begin the smoothing work on the head walls. I will try to keep the construction updates coming more frequently - but I know I'm going to be busy!

12/03/03 Busy, busy It's been an extremely busy week so far, and it's only Wednesday. On Monday Erik and I drove down to San Diego to take care of some business. First we went to meet Chip Buck of Point Sails, who is going to be designing and fabricating Seayanika's sails. His enthusiasm and focus on customer service is refreshing. Then we stopped in to see Fritz of Pacific Offshore Rigging to firm up our rigging dates. He suggested we check out Driscoll BoatWorks for our launching so we went by there also. Then a quick stop to pick up our prop shaft and up to Frost Hardwoods to buy more mahogany. Tuesday, our good buddy Rita showed up with toolbox in hand...a willing slave for the day. Rita and I hung curtains and rods while Erik installed the prop shaft and propeller. Today, Rita came by again (a glutton for punishment), this time with her husband John and sister Judy in tow, and the five of us managed to keep out of each other's way and made a lot of progress. John busied himself with detailing the windows, stainless and cockpit sole. Judy bravely coiled herself into a ball in the anchor locker, scraping and sanding. Rita and I continued with curtains and fought a valiant battle installing some upholstery cushions. Erik was very industrious in the aft cabin...but I'm not sure what he was doing. Something mysterious with the drive system, I think. Tommorrow I think John will be coming, and Friday Rita, Judy, and another great supporter, Tom, will be here to lend a hand. It is beyond wonderful when friends like these show up to slave away, purely for the satisfaction of helping us meet our goals and dreams.

12/03/03 Launch Update The launch date has been rescheduled for January 24th. San Diego Boat Movers was already booked for our preferred date...and we wouldn't consider anyone else to move Seayanika! Another little snag is that Erik just reminded me that I have to get the boat documented before we launch. Yikes! I'd better get to it!

12/22/03 Paint! Yesterday was a red-letter day for Seayanika! A few days previously our good friends John & Rita, owners of S/V Sonrisa, helped us clean and prep Seayanika for paint. The following couple of days found Erik applying primer, sanding and smoothing the hull. Then yesterday Erik applied the two coats of Cornflower Blue Sterling paint. Friends, Bob Dow, John & Rita and I followed Erik as he was applying the paint, calling out areas that weren't fully covered. After the second coat set, everyone pitched in to remove all the tape and plastic sheeting, drop the scaffolding and admire our work. Needless to say, the beer and stronger libations flowed while we congratulated ourselves on a job well done. A couple of photos of the painting process have been included on the photo page.

12/25/03 Graphics Merry Christmas! Yesterday was another "letter" day for Seayanika - this time a white letter day - she got her graphics. Tim Mueller and his brother from Vinylworx in Vista arrived at 1:00 p.m. to do their magic. As demonstrated in the photo on the right, it may have taken longer than expected, because they were still at it well after dark. What dedication! They did a great job and were very patient with us while we tried to determine where each segment of the graphics should be placed. We are VERY pleased with the result and you can see the final product on the photo page.

1/13/04 Countdown The countdown begins...8 days until San Diego Boat Movers pluck Seayanika off the hill and move her to the boatyard. Still lots to do, but Erik swears we have a handle on it. He's been working on the rudder, steering, electronics, hydraulics and controls. I, on the other hand, have had lots of help with my big projects. With the continued generous assistance of John & Rita, Judy and Natasha, we prepped the hull below the water line, applied three coats of barrier coat and two coats of bottom paint. We applied the barrier coats because early 70's fiberglass hulls are likely to suffer from osmosis blistering. Since the hull has never been in the water and is dry as a bone, this was the perfect time to apply it. It was an ugly job though, the "paint" was thick and gooey and dried quickly. Yuck! We've been ordering parts like crazy, and Costa, our Port Supply rep has been great! He's kept our supplies rolling in, even last minute orders were no problem. Actually, the service we've received from him throughout our building process has been outstanding. It's a hectic time around here. Gotta go. More later.

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11/03/02	Aft Cabin	Jeez how time flies when you're not paying attention. Since my last update, Erik and I went to Hawaii for a week for R&R. We took a couple of "cruises" while there to help give Erik some more motivation. So, he was raring to get back to work when we returned. Erik has been working on the aft cabin among other things. The washer/dryer cabinet is complete and he has installed drawers and a hanging locker on the starboard side. Inside the locker he installed cedar planking and it sure smells good. (See the new photos on the photo page.) He has also started work on the computer/nav station in the aft cabin, mostly just the sole area and the beginnings of the bulkhead/table. The transom structure is finished right down to paint, but the steps in the transom still have to be fabricated. Lea, has had the never-ending task of following behind Erik to varnish whatever he installs, and to build up the coats of varnish on the exterior teak. She's been a great sport about all the monotony. We just received the dorade vents we ordered about two months ago at Marine Depot. They were on backorder, but were worth the wait. They are gorgeous! Today, in spite of being Sunday, Erik is down in the workshop building the dorade vent boxes. (Of course at the same time he is watching football, golf, and the Nascar races.)
1/14/03	Misc. Stuff	Carumba! Here I go again letting too much time pass by without adding an update. Quite a few advancements have been made in the past couple of months. Erik has been working on several different projects in different areas of the boat. He has fabricated beautiful hatches for the lazarette, forward anchor locker and propane locker. They have teak frames, teak planking like the deck and are fibreglassed on the inside. The difficult part was cambering them to match the deck. The 'furniture' in the aft cabin is totally in, including the veneer and fiddles. The washer/dryer has been set into its cabinet. In the forward stateroom, Erik has installed half of the mahogany ceiling, which are planks on the sides of the hull above the berths. (Not to be confused with the 'ceiling' in a house.) He has completed all work on the bow pulpit including the teak frame and decking, the anchor rollers and the stainless steel rails. Today, Erik is beginning work with the Formica. He has made all his measurements for his cuts and will be installing it in the passageway between the main salon and aft stateroom and also on some horizontal surfaces. Meanwhile, I have decided to do the upholstery myself and have signed up for an upholstery class at the local community college. (I hope this isn't a mistake!) I purchased material, similar to Ultra Leather at a fraction of the cost, from a company in Fullerton, CA, called Enduratex. I will be attempting to duplicate the seats and cushions found in the new Hunter 46's. It is really plush and doesn't look too difficult. We went to the San Diego Boat Show last Friday and I managed to get lots of 'spy' photos of the Hunter's interior.
1/22/03	Trim	Trim, trim and more trim. Seems like all we've been doing this past week. Erik has finally taught me new skills. He is allowing me to make mahogany plugs on the drill press, glue them into the screw holes, saw them off with a handy-dandy Japanese hand saw and sand them down to smooth perfection. I feel like I'm making more of a contribution to the construction progress. As Erik installs pieces of trim, I follow behind him doing my "plug" work. The formica is installed throughout Seayanika and I have also begun taping off portions of the boat for final varnishing. There is still quite a bit of work to be done in the main salon (read that, all of the furniture), but Erik is leaving this for last, as the salon is his 'production' area. I begin my upholstery class today and hope I have the patience and talent to do good work.
1/31/03	Volunteer Help!	Yeah! Volunteers! Tom, who has been following our progress in Latitude 38 and on this website, contacted us and volunteered to lend a hand. How could we resist? Well, he came today and cheerfully spent six hours in a grueling sanding-athon with me, with nary a complaint. And, as he has his own boat, he has a good eye for the quality needed, and did a great job! (Now notice that I didn't provide his last name or where he lives. Can you imagine how many requests for free labor the poor guy would receive if I had?) Tom, thanks for all your help!
2/5/03	Forward Cabin	We're just about ready to close off the forward cabin because it's almost done! All the cabinets, hanging locker and trim pieces are in. The two drawers and hanging locker door will be fabricated later in the shop, and more varnish needs to be applied. Sunday Erik installed the cabin sole in the forward cabin. Instead of the traditional teak and holly, he is fabricating the sole for Seayanika with walnut and beech. And it's beautiful! Yesterday Erik was working on the 'Library'. He finished the back of the library settee which was giving him problems because of the curves. In upholstery news, well -- I've nearly finished the small cushion for the forward cabin's seat. It's taking me longer than expected because I'm not sure what I'm doing and have to hold up progress until I can ask the teacher. In fact, here's a picture of me doing just that...getting advise from the upholstery teacher (another Eric). Last night I cut the pattern for the library footwell cushion (with husband Erik's help). I find it very confusing to design a pattern with all the angles involved. But I'll keep plodding along and I'm sure eventually it will get easier.
2/16/03	Rain Delays	It rained almost all week, which kept us from spending much time on the boat. Instead, Erik worked in his shop. He made the second lexan hatch cover for the opening to starboard of the companionway. He also fabricated the hatch slide piece for the companionway. I guess as soon as he makes the drop boards, Seayanika should be mostly watertight. Yesterday, we finally were able to get some interior work done. Erik was busy sanding the recently installed cabin sole in the library, and I was occupied in the companionway and aft cabin, sanding, tack ragging and varnishing. Our friend Tracy, who I suppose has felt a little left out of Seayanika's actual construction (although she has been of invaluable help in other ways), came over to lend a hand. She organized and vacuumed the center area of the boat, and helped glue and fit walnut plugs into the cabin sole. I've finished three cusions for Seayanika (including the starboard side of the V-berth) and am almost done with the port V-berth cushion. Yeah! They actually fit and look professional. Wonders never cease to amaze me!
3/21/03	Sole/Upholstery	All I can say for myself (as an excuse for why I haven't been updating this page more often) is that I've been really busy. I spent a week in Mazatlan (because I had to get some sun) and I've been otherwise occupied making the cushions and attending my upholstery class. Just to prove how busy I've been -- I only have one more cushion to make! Yesterday we brought all the cushions up for the forward stateroom and the library. They all fit!! And they look absolutely great in there with the finished cabin sole. I've added new photos with the upholstery to the 'Photo' page. Erik, meanwhile, has been installing chain plates on the starboard side and cutting, fitting and attaching the cabin sole in the aft cabin. So, check out the new photos and see how busy we've been.
4/13/03	In the Bilge	For the past couple of days Erik has been hiding in the bilge in the main cabin. I'm assuming he's been working down there. He has pulled up the cabin sole and is attaching the fuel tanks to starboard slats. I believe the dual purpose of this excercise is to keep the tanks off the floor of the bilge compartment to facilitate draining, and also to keep the tanks from moving about down below. He has also been cutting hatches in the sole in the locations where he'll need easy access. After he is done with these preparations, he'll be starting on the one area I've been whining about...my GALLEY! In the past couple of weeks he has also installed the salon settee, the icemaker, and done tons of varnish prep and application. For my part, now that the upholstery is finished, I have sewn the curtains for the main salon, library and companionway, but still have to make the curtains for the aft cabin and heads. Unrelated to Seayanika, Erik has asked me to make cusions for our 22' fishing boat, and I am about half way done with that project. Hopefully, if Erik doesn't get sidetracked, my next report will be about the galley cabinetry. Yippee!
4/28/03	Pacific Sail Expo	Ok, we're not in the galley yet, but soon. We've just returned from Pacific Sail Expo where we were invited by Sail America to conduct a couple of boatbuilding seminars. We met many people that had attended the show just to hear about Seayanika and our progress. Some of them were doing similar projects and had brought pictures to show us. It's great to know there are other crazy people out there! At the show we also had the opportunity to check out some new products, and visit with our vendors. The photo here is of us with one of our favorite vendors, IMTRA, who is a constant source of great ideas. From left: Chip, Erik, Dick, Katriana & Jerry. One of our major purchases was a 6-person Viking liferaft which will be shipped to us shortly. But now, it's back to the grindstone. I'm confident there will be tons of progress to report in the next couple of weeks.
5/21/03	Stuff	Ahem...no galley to report on yet. Seems there are other jobs that have to be completed first. One of the least enjoyable (in my eyes), is that I had to spend over two weeks repairing sun damage to the bulwarks. This entailed scraping, sanding, taping, varnishing, more sanding, more varnishing, repeat, repeat, repeat, then removing the tape. The main reason I didn't like doing this work was because it was a maintenance chore, and contributed nothing towards the actual progress. Two steps forward, one step back. Erik has been working on the transom installing the fish locker there. Yesterday I painted what he had finished. Last Saturday we had a work party and installed the rudder (finally!). We had to dig a 5-ft deep hole and eight friends came by to help lift it into place. No, we didn't need eight people to lift the rudder, but as each person had a beer in one hand, it was like only having four people. Maybe it wasn't very efficient, but we had fun. (See the new photo on the 'Photo' page.) Since Saturday, Erik has been fabricating and installing rudder parts and should be done today. He says he'll be working in the aft head next, so I'm not sure when we're getting into the galley. I guess he's leaving that area for last so he has room in the middle of Seayanika to move and store equipment.
6/18/03	More Stuff	Sounding like a broken record, but still no galley. I'm starting to get the feeling we'll be launching the boat, moving aboard...and, what, eating out a lot? But there has been some progress this month. As mentioned before the rudder was installed. After Erik looked at it over the course of a few days, he realized something was not right. He pulled out the drawings we have and found out it is too long and the bottom edge was slanted instead of straight. So, a couple of days ago, he got out his trusty saws all, and sliced off the offending piece of rudder. And now, he is re-fiberglassing the bottom. Again, two steps forward, one step back. I've been doing a fair amount of sanding and varnishing, and also mixing putty and epoxy for the fiberglassing and fairing of the aft head. It is just about ready for paint. We also completed a few instant gratification jobs this month. We fabricated and installed the headliner in the aft cabin, installed the recessed lighting, the rope lighting and the curtains. We also finished putting up the stainless steel rails (life lines) at the aft end of Seayanika. Erik has installed the steering mechanism (we have hydraulic steering), but since I'm not sure what all is involded, I don't know if he's done, almost done, or just started on the project. On a personal note, I'm going to be celebrating my 50th (yikes!) birthday next week. Since we were SUPPOSED to be spending my 50th in the Marquesas, (and obviously, we're not) I decided to bring the Marquesas to Vista. So we're having a blow-out Polynesian Pig Roast, complete with an 80 lb. oinker and the requirement that everyone arrive in appropriate Polynesian attire. (For anyone interested, I'll remember to get some photos and post them here.) Well, that's all the news for now. Aloha
6/26/03	Galley!!	WOO-HOO! Finally started working on the galley! To get to this point, we had to permanently lay down the salon/galley plywood sole. That was a pretty entertaining job in itself. After applying some sort of glue-goop, the sole had to be attached with stainless steel screws with locking nuts -- from underneath! Needless to say, the access hatch areas are not that big, so guess who got to wiggle into the bilge (sometimes upside-down and backwards) through these little hatches, to install the washers and nuts? You've got it, little old claustrophobic me! I got so stuck into one area that Erik had to extricate me by lifting me straight up by the feet and twisting me so my hips (which are not large) could pass through the hatch. I guess you had to be there. Anyway, after the underlaying sole was permanently attached, he fabricated and installed the cabinet toe kicks, and then cut and fitted the walnut and beech galley sole. He tells me that it's easier to do the sole now, before the cabinets are installed. The past couple of days he has been making the face frames for the electrical panels and the freezer and refrigerator. Yesterday I had to primer coat the back of the frames and the hull areas behind them before installation. Of course, we ran out of paint, so we're waiting for the Port Supply van to deliver another gallon today. I can now see that the galley will be coming together fairly quickly so I should have some photos very soon. Speaking of photos, here are a couple from the pig roast. That's Erik on the left doing his imitation of a headhunder, and the photo on the right is of our good friends John & Rita, who are a constant souce of inspiration.

7/24/03	Galley Cont.	Galley progress continues. After the toe kicks were installed and the galley and salon walnut and beech floor was permanently laid, serious cabinetry work began. One by one Erik fabricated the face frames and cabinets and installed them in the galley. As the cabinets went in, we immediately applied the veneer and gave them a couple coats of varnish to protect them. This past week he has been busy making trim pieces and I have been installing the screw hole plugs, cutting them off and sanding them. We also decided to use an off-white, iron-on veneer for the toe kicks and risers on the steps, so that was my job yesterday. Today Erik will do a road trip to buy some needed items while I begin a varnish-fest on the trim. I don't think much work will be done this upcoming weekend because I'll be in Phoenix and Erik will be helping out a friend doing some Bobcat work. Erik now says that Seayanika will definetely go in the water in September. I'm ready!
8/15/03	Lights	Well, the galley woodwork is basically finished. Just a couple of fiddle rails and a bit more varnish. I've purchased the Corian (actually Staron) for the countertop, which is slightly lighter than the color we have for the heads. Erik thought a lighter color would work better with the mahogany. I haven't been helping on the boat for the past week because we've had houseguests, but Erik is plugging along. He's started hooking up all the electric - which began by installing our AC and DC panels. They look beautiful in their cabinet. He's also thinking about scheduling another work party to start preping the hull for paint. We still have many things to do before launching. September is looking sketchy to me. Aarg! There are so many details to building a boat!
9/15/03	Painting, etc.	Still here...but making progress. Let's see - fiddle rails, varnish and corian countertops installed in the galley. Ditto for both the forward and aft head. We've finally made ourselves a list of everything that needs to be done before we launch. Ummmm - the list is looking pretty long! But at least Erik is getting the satisfaction of checking items off the list as he completes them. Last Friday was a good day for Seayanika. Our new (and very simpathetic) friends Tom & Karen, took a day out of their vacation(!) to lend us a hand. We sanded, scrubbed and cleaned Seayanika for hours, and then taped the waterline and toprail in preparation for hull primer. What would possess anyone to volunteer for such backbreaking work? Insanity? Or just crazed boat owners? Whatever the reason, we thank them for their hard work and comraderie - it was a fun day! (P.S. Tom & Karen - Erik primed the hull on Saturday and says we did a good job! Go Team!)
10/19/03	Set-back	Carumba! One step forward, two steps back. After Erik sprayed the hull with primer, he saw how "wavy" the hull was. And, since he is bound and determined to paint Seayanika a glossy dark blue, every imperfection must be removed or it will show after final painting. So, I imagine you can guess what we've been doing for the past month. Epoxying, sanding, epoxying, sanding, epoxing, sanding, ad naseum. We may have a couple more weeks of the same until Erik determines that Seayanika will pass the perfectionist's test. On a lighter note, yesterday we received our Viking 6-person life raft. I know Erik is itching to open it up and see inside...but this is one package he'll just have to leave alone. In fact, I hope neither of us ever have to see what's inside. I have re-enrolled in the upholstery class and have been making two sets of outside window covers, one set with Sunbrella fabric, the other with some sort of, ummmm, sun-blocking-PVC-covered-vinyl-open-weaved fabric. While I was at it, I have also reupholstered the front seats of our Toyota pick-up which were looking pretty ratty. They actually look pretty good, but it wasn't a fun job. I've posted new galley photos to the "Photo" page. The galley is complete except for drawers and doors, and it looks beautiful. Check it out!
11/17/03	Pilothouse	The horrible wildfires in San Diego County have prohibited us from continuing with the paint work on the hull. For nearly a week ash fell on the boat, and for a few days it was literally impossible to work outside because of all the smoke in the air. So Erik began work on the pilothouse. Because there are so many angles involved, he said it was a good thing he remembered his geometry and triganometry (sp?) from school. Now that he's finished with the framing, he will be moving the pilothouse down to the bodega for fiberglassing and finishing. I think our project for today is to clean up Seayanika and stage it for our next project, namely finishing up the aft head and aft cabin. Yep...that will include my absolute favorite task...lots of sanding. Yuck!
11/25/03	Launch Date?	Hold on to your hats. Erik has set a launch date. JANUARY 17TH, 2004. He must be pretty confident about what's left to be done. So now it's time for me to get organized, make sure I get all the parts here he needs and decide our exact launch location. He's been working on the hydraulic windless system, the prop shafting and this morning he is installing the bow thruster motor. We have put a general call out for help to anyone we could think of who might be willing to spare a few hours to help out. There are always those jobs that require more than one (or two) people, and of course, there's always the never-ending sanding, painting and varnishing. We are accepting all applicants who can walk and breathe simultaneously. I've only got one coat left of varnish to apply in the aft head before I begin the smoothing work on the head walls. I will try to keep the construction updates coming more frequently - but I know I'm going to be busy!
12/03/03	Busy, busy	It's been an extremely busy week so far, and it's only Wednesday. On Monday Erik and I drove down to San Diego to take care of some business. First we went to meet Chip Buck of Point Sails, who is going to be designing and fabricating Seayanika's sails. His enthusiasm and focus on customer service is refreshing. Then we stopped in to see Fritz of Pacific Offshore Rigging to firm up our rigging dates. He suggested we check out Driscoll BoatWorks for our launching so we went by there also. Then a quick stop to pick up our prop shaft and up to Frost Hardwoods to buy more mahogany. Tuesday, our good buddy Rita showed up with toolbox in hand...a willing slave for the day. Rita and I hung curtains and rods while Erik installed the prop shaft and propeller. Today, Rita came by again (a glutton for punishment), this time with her husband John and sister Judy in tow, and the five of us managed to keep out of each other's way and made a lot of progress. John busied himself with detailing the windows, stainless and cockpit sole. Judy bravely coiled herself into a ball in the anchor locker, scraping and sanding. Rita and I continued with curtains and fought a valiant battle installing some upholstery cushions. Erik was very industrious in the aft cabin...but I'm not sure what he was doing. Something mysterious with the drive system, I think. Tommorrow I think John will be coming, and Friday Rita, Judy, and another great supporter, Tom, will be here to lend a hand. It is beyond wonderful when friends like these show up to slave away, purely for the satisfaction of helping us meet our goals and dreams.
12/03/03	Launch Update	The launch date has been rescheduled for January 24th. San Diego Boat Movers was already booked for our preferred date...and we wouldn't consider anyone else to move Seayanika! Another little snag is that Erik just reminded me that I have to get the boat documented before we launch. Yikes! I'd better get to it!
12/22/03	Paint!	Yesterday was a red-letter day for Seayanika! A few days previously our good friends John & Rita, owners of S/V Sonrisa, helped us clean and prep Seayanika for paint. The following couple of days found Erik applying primer, sanding and smoothing the hull. Then yesterday Erik applied the two coats of Cornflower Blue Sterling paint. Friends, Bob Dow, John & Rita and I followed Erik as he was applying the paint, calling out areas that weren't fully covered. After the second coat set, everyone pitched in to remove all the tape and plastic sheeting, drop the scaffolding and admire our work. Needless to say, the beer and stronger libations flowed while we congratulated ourselves on a job well done. A couple of photos of the painting process have been included on the photo page.
12/25/03	Graphics	Merry Christmas! Yesterday was another "letter" day for Seayanika - this time a white letter day - she got her graphics. Tim Mueller and his brother from Vinylworx in Vista arrived at 1:00 p.m. to do their magic. As demonstrated in the photo on the right, it may have taken longer than expected, because they were still at it well after dark. What dedication! They did a great job and were very patient with us while we tried to determine where each segment of the graphics should be placed. We are VERY pleased with the result and you can see the final product on the photo page.

1/13/04	Countdown	The countdown begins...8 days until San Diego Boat Movers pluck Seayanika off the hill and move her to the boatyard. Still lots to do, but Erik swears we have a handle on it. He's been working on the rudder, steering, electronics, hydraulics and controls. I, on the other hand, have had lots of help with my big projects. With the continued generous assistance of John & Rita, Judy and Natasha, we prepped the hull below the water line, applied three coats of barrier coat and two coats of bottom paint. We applied the barrier coats because early 70's fiberglass hulls are likely to suffer from osmosis blistering. Since the hull has never been in the water and is dry as a bone, this was the perfect time to apply it. It was an ugly job though, the "paint" was thick and gooey and dried quickly. Yuck! We've been ordering parts like crazy, and Costa, our Port Supply rep has been great! He's kept our supplies rolling in, even last minute orders were no problem. Actually, the service we've received from him throughout our building process has been outstanding. It's a hectic time around here. Gotta go. More later.