Back to Work on the Boat

January is usually the kind of cold, wet month that's ideal for writing but not very conducive to getting outdoor work done - especially work that involves lots of epoxy and fiberglassing.  But this January has been unusually warm, and I've been taking of the spring-like weather to make some real progress on my boatbuilding project.Building a Tiki 26 offshore sailing catamaran and doing it the right way, with no corners cut and no skimping on materials or methods takes time, but this project has had a lot of interruptions and has gone on for too long.  I've decided that now is the time to get it done, and I plan to have Element II in the water and sailing this year - probably right after hurricane season is over in the fall.Most of the major components are built, but there is still a lot of finish work to do that includes fairing and painting, wiring, rigging, hardware installation and canvas work.  But as long as I take advantage of days when the weather is good, I can stay on track to launch with the head start I'm getting due to this year's warmer temperatures.  Doing boat work is a good change of gears after hours at the computer, and I'm going to need that with another book to write before the end of July, after I finish the novel I'm working on now.  Sailing will be an even better change of gears and is something I really need again after so long without it. You can follow the project at my boat building blog: http://tiki26element2.blogspot.com