First Steel

Today is the day that the base plate is to be laid, or so the shell builder on Saturday assured us. He showed us the gap in the workshop that is our gap. We took some photos of our gap, showed our friends and also took more photos of the other boats in various stages. I suppose we might have to palm them off as Epiphany if she does not materialise! So many people who state they “are in the know” tell us not to expect her to be finished on time. We have no illusions but that does not prevent us being frustrated at the lack of progress. Particularly when the builder promised, “we will start this week”, “by the end of the week”, “by Friday” each time BJ spoke to him. We live in Cornwall, so understand the principle of “dreckly”, a Cornish word meaning eventually, when we get around to it, in our own time, as soon as we can. The Spanish have a similar word – “manyana”, it is a wonderful word without precise meaning or commitment! The cut has a similar philosophy; perhaps that is what we find so attractive and familiar! Anyway, much to my disbelief and a healthy dose of scepticism, the builder still maintains that the fitters will have the shell at the time predicted. We will see! We look forward to pictures and reports from our friends’ visit to the workshop that will prove the builder is as good as his word. I just want to touch her and it’s rather like giving birth – not the pain but the expectation!