A look at the interior.

I was persuaded to go aboard this weekend and view the progress and take pictures of same. Lads are making good progress, and we're getting to the stage where we can see beyond the chaos, and dimly, through the crap and corruption, see a possible sparkle at the end of the tunnel. Just. The house is displaying a similar level of disorder.

We did take a day off this weekend and visited the Wooden Boat Festival in Mahone Bay. We've been there so many times when it's been wet and nasty, it seemed ridiculous not to go on such a brilliant Sunday. (Last time we were there on our boat was two years ago, eating breakfast in the flapping, sodden food tent, we chatted with a local five-year-old, whose comment was "It's a sin about the weather.")

A day off leaves us a day behind, gasp, so the beatings will continue until work is completed.


In the meantime, the galley is taking shape. Voila, a refrigerator. It cost more than the stainless steel behemoth from Sears in our kitchen, holds lunch for Tom, and Randy had to build it himself. The bugger better work.

And here's another piece of nautical wonderment: our sewage treatment plant. Along with the new head (see below) we shall be able to suck a pair of overalls through the head, no problem. Great, eh? We should also be able to cruise in fine eco-traveller fashion through crystal clear waters and leave nary a trace of our passing (RS says that it's a Raritan Lectrasan, and not a nuclear waste disposal plant).

The upgraded head is pretty snazzy and includes a diesel-powered hairdryer. No kidding, it runs off the wee furnace. I'll post a picture of it in action sometime. I can hardly wait.

Three more days of work for me, and then I can chuck the editor's hat and concentrate on more pressing things. All I have to do is assign the October issue, delete a thousand or so emails, clean my office, leave coherant notes for my successor, and have a few beers with my pals at work. I will miss some things. I'll cope. I'm using my last few lunch hours downtown to rummage at John Doull's Bookstore to boost my onboard library. How many books do I get to take? We're still negotiating, and I'm still buying. We have to educate a 17-year-old, remember.

The starter library. Any suggestion for must-have books? Leave a comment!