August has seen some good progress with the forward sections of the boat. The bowsprit is coming together well, & all of the bulwark posts & bulwark planks are in. Planks are western red cedar done in strip plank tongue & grove.

The foredeck is progressing well along with the bulwark is ready for glassing. You can see the large radius fillets to allow the fibreglass to continue through the corners of the joins.

Good news about the engine (Gardner 5LW), we have seen & heard it running, started first go after a complete rebuild. It was put on the dyno a couple of weeks ago & we were were very impressived after a 4 year wait. We are still awaiting delivery at this stage.

Stern tube has been fitted but is waiting to be glued in. The 3 tone of lead keel has been fixed in and a little fairing was required due to it being dropped and bending slightly when we were doing the final install.

Below is a series of photos showing the forward bilge in the process of being painted. The first three photos have had a final coat of epoxy paint, the last three have had 2 coats of epoxy paint 1 high build primer & a final coat of 'Jotun Hard Top Ultra'. This was done over a weekend to avoid the need for sanding between coats.