Flat Pack Boat (part one)
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Fri 13 Apr 2012 06:57
Butto turned up for work on Thursday and we got a good days sanding and painting/trial assembly done. He said he would be a bit late today......by 4.30 he still hadn't shown up! Slowed up the work a bit (OK, a lot).
Yesterday Martin the meknik gave me a bill for re-assembling/repairing the engines and saildrives, F$950. Not such a bad price I thought, so foolishly I asked him 'in on Monday then?' Seemingly not. There was a lot of waffle about how he didn't want the engines to sit in the boat unrun, so he wanted two weeks notice of the boat going in. That was easy.
"The boat's being launched two weeks on Friday (today)" Quoth I.
"OK, the engines will be in in seven to ten days." Quoth he.
'The bugger hasn't actually mantled them yet,' thought I, 'so how the #### can he give me a bill for work he hasn't done?'
He know knows that WHEN the engines are in and running he will be paid, but perhaps not as quickly as he thinks.
I rang Arun the Elektrik.
"Hi Bro, how's it going?"
"A bit of an absence of elecktrickery old boy."
"I'll be down next week."
"The boat's being launched in two weeks from today. Any news on the anchor windlass?"
"The guy repairing the studs has broken one."
"Best he fix it then. The fridge?"
"Still has a small leak somewhere in the pipe."
"Tell him to try pumping soapy water through it. I'll see you next week, I'll be calling on Monday if I don't see you."
John the GRP was trying to tactfully explain that he needed more money (I think). He never did actually get around to coming out and saying it. Slight problem with the rudder blade fabrication, the hollow sections are supposed to be filled with foam, which is F$600 for 20 litres, about 15 more than we need. John reckons concrete is the answer. just as strong and not much heavier. Anti-fouling from the Chinese fishing boats is F$200 for something like 20 gallons, possibly illegal (?), certainly effective and cheaper than F$300 for 8 litres of Hempel anti-fouling, and that's half price (for some reason I'd probably rather not know about).
All in all I'm not a terribly happy bunny, but no more Mister Nice Guy from here on in, the date has now been set! Actually, having looked at the tides, on Monday 30th high tide is at 1308 local, 1.6 metres. I'm not silly enough to actually book the crane on Monday morning. 'The lads' in the yard are waiting for me to explode, apparently there is a book on who I'm going to lump first. Arun is currently the favourite, but with my inside knowledge I'm not so sure.I've been told I'm ineligable to place a bet, pity really I need to replenish the coffers pdq.
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