Hot.

The past couple of weeks have been really hot. Really, really hot. Like, almost 90° hot. Even the cats, who normally bask in the sun like a pair of fuzzy, blimp-shaped lizards, have not been having a fun time. This morning they went out onto the patio to eat grass, and collapsed into puddles of melted lipids before they even made it halfway across. They eventually had to be picked up and carried back inside.

Melted Cats

Despite the oppressive heat (and the accompanying stench of seagull droppings), a lot of work has gotten done on the boat. All kinds of little boat-bits, like lifelines, trim, stanchions, porthole rims, and wood bungs have been re-installed. Randy finished up the rub rails and some new pieces of trim, then moved on to somebody else's boat. Now that we don't have a shipwright working on the boat, I'm going to get to tackle some more ambitious projects than I was expecting. My dad installed and fiberglassed the final upper deck pieces, so we can paint it soon. We are going to patch up the very back of the upper deck with 2-by-4's and OSB, then fix it properly next summer. I spent a few days shaping and installing some new deckbeams for port side deck, so we can now install the actual deck there.

Unfortunately, I spent so much time on my knees when I was working on the side deck that I got prepatellar bursitis. I now have to stay off my knees for about 3 weeks, which will slow down my projects a bit.

Lifeline Attached

New Rubrail

New... Fancy Trim Bit

New Upper Deck

New Deckbeams

For a quick break from working on the boat, my parents, my aunt, and I took a day trip to Victoria. The weather was beautiful, and there was a lot of incredible 19th century architecture. I only got around to taking 2 pictures, but one of them was of a stunning stained glass window in the provincial capitol building. The other one is of active pass (I think) on the ferry ride home.

Window in Victoria

Active Pass, on the way back from Victoria