Money Pit
18 January 2009 | Antwerp
Another trip to check up on the boat and the work in progress. The tone of the latest phonecalls had been more upbeat. So, I had high hopes.
Only to see them dashed when I turned up. This was not exactly the 'very good progress' I had hoped to see. In fact, I could barely notice any progress at all. Not that there hadn't been any progress, but what progress had been made; had also been painfully slow.
Much as I want to believe the assertions of 'We're doing the hardest bits first' and 'The rest will be so much easier', I find it increasingly hard to believe them. Granted; the recent cold spell may have set us back a bit, but while it may have been too cold to laminate other jobs could have been done. I found very little evidence of that.
At the moment the boat's a hole in the water which I'm trying to fill with money. I've now spent the entire sum set aside for the deck - completed. And I hope I'm wrong, but I think that if work progresses at the current rate we're not even halfway finished.
Where are we? Port and starboard side are about halfway finished - aft to midships as far as the mast. Balsa in place and laminated. Foredeck still to be done - flush deck, so swift progress is possible. But I'll believe it when I see it. And then the cork still needs to be cut and applied, cockpit resprayed and all the deck fittings to be fixed back in place.
I'm not joking when I say that this job could be the death of me - I lie awake at night worrying about the boat. At the moment I'm frustrated and angry - and getting more and more so by the minute. Not a good place to be.
I'm going back in two weeks time to check on the boat, but mainly to read the riot act and bang some heads together. This blank cheque attitude has got to end. I want a firm commitment regarding man/hours and material still required. If I can't get any, I will arbitrarily impose one. I've got to work for a living, unlike politicians I can't just print money.
There, I've got it off my chest. And that will have to see me through the next two weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to report that we have turned the corner by then. In the mean time, I'll seek comfort in the arms of a good woman.