That last hectic week

For a while I had lost touch with the outer world – the world beyond the confines of the boat shed, the smell of tar and woodshavings, and the next problem to be overcome concerning which piece of material would suffice, and how to measure up that gap to fit it… With the arrival of visitors from various parts of Europe ( first Jared, coming from Norway, then Johannes from Germany, Machiel (NL), Liv (NO), then on Friday, Jess, from near Dundee, Paul, an American living in Edinburgh, Claire from Nethie Bridge, Sean from Ayr, and finally Gulli and Joe in their van from Forres) the small world began to open up. But I still couldn’t believe that “the boat” – the term that encompassed what I had been working on flat out all summer – could actually become a sea-going craft, and actually sail!

Everyone did their bit in some way or other, and all the necessary hard work had been accomplished by 11pm on Friday night ( I remember battling in raging midges, in the dark, to get that final floorboard finished) It felt good, and there was good cheer what with 11 visitors, but the boat still wasn’t done!