Part 13: Building Our Trailerable Dreamboat

Cabin Construction At Last! (…Then a Scary Allergy Attack from Cedar)

Now we’re getting someplace, at last.

After 12 episodes in this series, we’re finally building the forward cabin, to be followed by the pilothouse, so an exciting turning point has been rounded.

No matter how far we get into the build of a small, 6-knot cabin cruiser for two aging sailors, we continue to hit unexpected bypasses, design tweaks and simple tasks that take too long. That’s just inevitable when you build or restore a boat.

And increasingly, we appreciate the value of organizing each step in the process more carefully…making sure we have all the tools, materials, fastenings and adhesives at the ready—not to mention Band Aids—laid out on the boat and ideally in the order we’ll need them.

(If this seems to contradict our earlier distaste for outlining every step in the start-to-finish process, our response is No, Not Really, But Maybe Sorta. Converting the whole, wonderful experience to a dry printout gives us the willies. It’s like knowing too much, and from experience—and having done it many times—we understand that only deranged optimists believe predicted completion dates. Call it denial, but we enjoy being blissfully focused on the near term—what we might accomplish today, if we’re damned lucky.)

So, if it appears we’re making progress, and anyone applauds, we’ll credit Nordic ancesters for inspiration, building their own small boats by eye, one step after another, without plans, lists or fantasyland schedules.