Derek has installed the new autopilot, it looks great!


The lifelines have been replaced, they look pretty cool with their exposed wire. That aft port chainplate was rebedded by Rick the Rigger's crew a couple of days ago, we are still waiting on pelican hooks for the access points -- the really nice ones they installed on the lifelines unfortunately do not fit the eyes of the stanchions we already had in place -- too wide.

Derek has also installed an anchor windlass, a new and lovely one with both chain and rope gypsies; he installed it in line with the main bow roller so that the chain will fall nicely into the chain locker. I am making a cover for the windlass from Pacific Blue Sunbrella ($16/yd at Grant's Foam and Fabric). Here's the windlass:


So with the last chainplate rebedded and the excess 3M4000 (that what the riggers use) cleared away, we will install the aft section of the rubrail today. Have to get it done while the weather holds... this is unusually sunny and dry for February. Many of the marina folk are out sailing this weekend, taking advantage of the exceptionally gorgeous weather! More later today...

Later: Derek installed a bilge pump in the center nacelle under the battery compartment; oddly, this space did not have one, nor does it have a drain. It now has a working bilge pump, which pumps into the cockpit locker, which does have a drain. While he was wiring that, he discovered that the "box" holding some commercial electronics for use in the living space was braced at its aft end with a wooden crosspiece that was resting at one end on a single screw, half-driven-into the hull and left sticking out, and was just wedged in place against the other side of the central nacelle at its other end! So, a new addition to the list will be replacing that with something sturdier.

The last rubrail is installed, and the protective stainless steel strip on the outside, as well. There are a few locations on that metal strip that do not have screws (three along the whole length of the boat, IIRC: these are places where one of the screws for the strip would sit atop one of the throughbolts. What a beautiful evening! We're going to go enjoy it before it vanishes...