sails

Dang the varnisher’s back, as are the electricians. The sparkies have finally installed the LED dimmer switch and it looks good. Dang is preparing the boat for its last coat of varnishing whilst I remove the old stuffing box in preparation for the new PSS Dripless Seal.

Lots of fiddly jobs this week. That’s what the project is coming down to now, a collection of odd jobs, all interconnected in some way, and typically all held up by the late arrival of a vital material. This week we also play with butyl tape.

This week has probably been the most eventful to date, and I’m not just talking about Esper’s progress. On Wednesday half of Chebilang turned out to watch a fishing boat burn right down to its hull, whilst a ferry bottoms out when being jacked up on a cradle. Other breakages include feet and motorbikes.

First week without Liz. After dropping her off at Hat Yai airport Moo and I visit the machine shop to try and get the swimming platform bent. Instead we get told off for filming on their premises. I wonder why?

Bad news this week as we inspect our shaft, which has some corrosion. We turn to Vyv Cox of Coxengineering to find out how and why this has happened. Meanwhile we attempt to offer the swimming platform up to the transom, only to find it is a little too big.

Two big projects this week: the removal of a blockage in the mast conduit and the interior lights. The lights are on-going but the removal of the blockage took three days and was only achieved by Moo’s brainwave.

We’ve been in the yard for six months now, and this week’s round-up, which covers all the work so far, coincides with Jamie’s return. The ceiling is going up and the mast is being dressed.

As usual the busiest man on the Esper refit project is Pong, the head carpenter. He’s been assisted by his sons in finishing off the new teak toe rail and the teak rubbing strake down the side of the boat. Sombat, meanwhile, cracks on with the electrics.

This week we take a close look at that saloon table that has a coffee table incorporated into it. Amazing to think that in the same week the same man is also doing the rubbing strake.

With the non-skid down the entire deck is now covered in 70s-pattered vinyl for protection. The remaining areas of Awlcraft have been buffed and polished, which means the painters have almost finished. Meanwhile, down below, three carpenters and two varnishers are cracking on with the cupboards, trim, floorboards and finally, the saloon table, which has a rather cool design feature. The swimming platform has to be sent to Hat Yai in order for it to be bent.

Sorry we’re late. We said we were going to do something a little different this week… see the video clip for an update from both the UK and Thailand. Meanwhile, back in Turkey, guess who’s back?

The osmosis treatment continues with West System 410 Microlight applied to the hull. Pong, head carpenter, begins the task of shaping the toe rail whilst trying to maintain the bend in the wood!

The osmosis treatment continues with West System 410 Microlight applied to the hull. Pong, head carpenter, begins the task of shaping the toe rail whilst trying to maintain the bend in the wood!

Week 19 was all about painting the topsides with the final coat of Awlcraft. The question is, what colour did we go for?

The stainless work is starting to take shape now, with a new companionway ladder being fitted. The floorboards are all up and the lads start preparing the hull for her layer of fibreglass.