She floats!

Sequel not only saw the light of day for the first time in several years, she went in the water too! Unfortunately we couldn't be there for the maiden dip. The whole SEA Marine crew got on board to add weight, then they marked the waterline. Now Sean is applying the final coats of bottom paint, then Aaron will add the boot stripe. The hull is has a bluish tint and the stripe will be teal. (See slideshow at left.)

Colin has been working bow to stern finalizing the interior electrical wiring. We’ve gone full CZone, which eliminated miles of wire but created lots of discussions, head scratching and planning to install the extensive wiring packages. The electrical system is stunning and we are so pleased with Colin’s work.

Matt is finishing systems and mechanical projects. He has commissioned the furnace and hot water systems, plugged leaks in the original water tanks and installed the black water system. The engine wiring, raw water systems and exhaust systems are complete. The Northern Lights generator package is installed. The dynamic steering system is hooked up.

Meanwhile, canvas and upholstery wizards, Jeff and Lenora, have been building and upholstering the flybridge seats and they look great! We've chosen retro-looking fabric to stay true to the boat's 1967 roots (note the turquoise accent in the photo at left which we've retained from the original interior). The enclosure is complete and we loved collaborating with Jeff and Lenora to customize it. Together we came up with several innovations to create comfort and efficiency, while considering the effects of sun, wind and water. This boat has no interior helm station, so we'll spend quite a bit of time on the flybridge. Side panels slide horizontally and the windshield hinges inward and snaps to hardtop so we can adjust them for ventilation without having to remove and store them. The carbon fiber hardtop necessitated special installation of the tracks and hardware. Jeff and Lenora also added several features for easy zipping and to protect the varnish work. They think of all these little things and the little things matter!

The commissioning work will continue for several more months but the end is in sight for launching and christening this spring. The talented SEA Marine staff has performed most of the work, with quite a bit of hands-on participation from us as well as help from many, many talented tradespeople in Port Townsend and a host of amazing suppliers. A project like this takes a village!