Got one

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Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Sunday was still windy but PRO Rob set off again to get three races in and so we took Richard's rubber boat out and followed the action. It was hard work on the water, though Dennis made it look easy with three first places, and we were kept busy helping capsised and retiring helms safely home. Em had almost had enough after two races but didn't want to stop and went back out and finished third in the last one. This made her third overall and got her her first trophy. Of course we're proud; in these conditions all the kids on the water are champions.

Rene brings them home

DSC00257
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

This weeks final event of the Optimist Combi Noord series was at Lemmer. With a forecast for twenty six knots we'd been holding our breath all week. Saturday morning came and the wind was a little quieter so race officer Rob set up a course on the Brekken lake. Just before the start the wind started to pick up again and with storm clouds coming up fast he wisely decided to abandon racing for the day.

Deck beams

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Originally uploaded by Sadlr

We started on the ceiling this week, after blowing up the cient's fridge by putting 400 volts on his 230 system. That could have turned out a lot worse. Here are twenty deck beams routed to follow the curve of the deck, primed and ready to go in.

Homework

Homework
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Fleet captain Rob Klein pointed out that my mast wasn't tapered below the mast bolt. All the quick ones are to allow the mast to move when the shrouds are loose. Wednesday evening I got out my square and plane and shaved the foot back to the minimum allowed in the rules. There'll be no stopping us now.

DTP Optimist team

DTP Optimist team
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

All four DTP Optimist helms in one boat. Em struggled at this weekend's Optimist Combi, getting two top ten results but also a couple of back-of-the-fleet finishes.
She was dissapointed as she had hoped to come home with a trophy this weekend as it was 22nd and 23rd August and her sail number is 2223. So much for superstition.
Still, she goes into next weekend's final series on the IJsselmeer at Lemmer in eigth place overall, one place behind Erwin [in the water] and four behind Dennis. Pim [who seems to be swimming with his clothes on] is just outside the top ten but coming up fast. With 16 knots forecast it'll be an exciting weekend for the sailors and their supporters.

Working our way up

Working our way up
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

This sawn off bit is where the support for the central beam for the deck hatches would have hung 100 years ago. It'll probably be another thirty years before it is seen again after we hide it with insulation and wood.

Floor down

Floor down
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Coming along nicely this week. Every now and then a job will go just as you hoped it would. Only got to get the step in the right place now and the floor will be finished. The oak planking will go over this much later on this year.

Start at the bottom

Start at the bottom
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

Back to work and into a new project. The hold of the sailing barge 'Ora et Labora' has been stripped down to the asphalt ballast and here we are setting up the new floor beams. Peter, multi-talented lad that he is, chips away a bit of ballast with a pneumatic hammer so that we can get the floor parallel to the keel plank.

Riding light

Riding light
Originally uploaded by Sadlr

As evening falls the hundreds of dinghies, ychts and motor boats head off home, leaving the lake empty except for two or three anchored boats.
Tomorrow we will look for a place to moor for a week and I'll go and get the van from Groningen so that I can take Em to school in the mornings, work, then bring her back home in the evenings. Next weekend we'll bring the barge back to the Sneekermeer for another Optimist Combi weekend.