Arpex Masted

What you see now is Arpex'es future mast.

Rogerio and Fred have agreed to sell the mast that they were building for Tiki Rio, a 30ft. Wharram catamaran. I'm very happy to do business with the guys and think that they will produce a very good a mast, which will suit the needs of Arpex very handsomely. So, by the end of this week, the Arpex construction project will be one important step closer to conclusion.

Fifty-Fifty

A pretty cool, and fast double rigged catamaran.

Other imminent jobs

It might not seem like it at first glance, but following the mast construction by Rogério is a productive and important thing to do. After all, Arpex will need a mast just like the one Rogério is building right now. I have purchased the plans from Wharram to build one of them.

However, htere is no denying, I need to get back to work myself, since many other jobs must be tackled before Arpex can go to the water. The most imminent are the permanent fixing of the rudder tube and internal support structure, and the gluing of the deck sandwich. And then the mast step and deck partner.

The most difficult thing is not to actually start working and sweating again, but to actually know how and what to do. And while I keep breeding these definitions, I keep on following Rogério´s mast construction. Who know what comes out of it.   

Tiki mast constuction

Today I went again to "Tiki Rio´s" construction site, to watch, and lend a hand to Rogério, who is just now building the wooden Tiki 30 mast. An interesting job. One great asset for this job is a solid building base. And they have just that on the Sao Cristóvao Club, where several boat builders gather.

Cisne Branco

A welcome sight in the distance. The beautiful three masted sailing ship Cisne Branco.

Another day on the water

Instead of going boatbuilding this Saturday, I took another "day off" to go sailing with my sister, on our good and old "Aleguá" again. In the end, it is important to remember what all the building time is good for - Is it not? So no"lost" time...

Tiki 30 sailing

Here is a lovely video of a Tiki 30 sailing swiftly along. A lovely boat, in my opinion. The contral cuddy is optional and probalbely dispensable in tropical regions.

Tiki Rio in the making

Today I payed a long overdue visit to Rogerio and Fred, the builders of Tiki Rio. They are doing a very fine job in building a Tiki 30. They also advance in a swift and consistent way, which gives great pleasure to watch and read about in their popular blog: Tiki Rio. 

The moment for the visit was well chosen, because they are just now building their mast. And this is a task which is not too far ahead in my building schedule. So, this was a great opportunity to see the job being done. As with their boat they are doing a fine job with it. They are using good Freijó wood for it. 

First step: clean up the place

Working in a place full of dust, filth and rubbisch is no good. So, as a first step into the boatbuilding after a six month hyatus, I gave the place the sweep and the swab, and cleaned it all up. I also talked to Valmir to arrange for the conclusion of the tasks he committed to. Again, I was happy to see that everthing seemed to be in good order, apart from the dust.

Back to boat...

Yesterday I went out to check out my boat. I admit I was slightly apprehensive, after almost 6 months of absence. 

Back in March, when I left towards Europe and the Emirates, I had hired Valmir, a local worker, to finish the ama, and fair the cabin. Since I had not gotten any reply to the inquiries I had made during my stay abroad, I was prepared to find the boat in the exact state I had left it. Rather still, I was already prepared to accept it as a good thing, if the boat would be found untouched. Afterall, many other things could have happened. Parts could have been stolen, a cat colony could have intalled itself inside the cabin. Rot destruction and vandalism did cross my worried mind.

Therefore, when Adri and I arrived at the construction site, I was happy to find the boat in good state. The had actually even been slight progress! Valmir did work on the boat. However, of course, far less than we had agreed on. But finding that the fairing work on the cabin had started, that the cabin was not filled with filth, rats, cats and cocroaches was already a relief. 

After a bit of scrutinizing Vamir appeared. We had a short conversation during which I expressed my insatisfaction and he exposed his excuses. But i was not in a mood to extend this, so I cut it short. We will work it out in the next few days, and define next steps.

Valmir did make a test for painting the ama - one of the jobs we had agreed him to work on. But, apart from a smal test patch on the bow, the ama was untouched.

Good Morning Rio! ... good to be back!

Abstracts

Após a chuva

Após a chuva segue o sol.

Berlin in the rain

I never knew how well a rainy day could be enjoyed and, indeed, cherished. So much so, as that I decided, that the bicycle would be the most suitable transport for the day.

After three weeks of ferocious heat, and desert dust in Abu Dhabi, it felt most invigorating so pedal through the fresh wind, and feel the drops of rain. Adding to the experience I took a great pleasure in smelling the vegetation, and the humidity rising from the pavement. Berlin is a very well greened city, which offers a variety exquisite smells in its scent.

Northern Emirates Tour

This weekend I did a little tour through the Northern Emirates. I´m quite happy, since it gave me a a rather more differentiated picture of the country. Not everything is covered with the shine of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. 

Also during this tour, I looked out for traditional dhows and specially sailing dhows. But none where to be found. Clearly, for the fishermen the boat of choice is the open fiberglass "panga", with a powerful outboard. S could be realistically expected, the sailing dhows of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are sport equipments maintained by rich families, and have little to do with life in more isolated communities.

Kitesurfing in Abu Dhabi

Last weekend, to get my head out of work, I ventured out to the kitesurfing spot of Abu Dhabi. I had seen the guys surfing occasionally, while passing by, on the autobahn. But I never figured out how to get there, since there was no direct access to pretty the isolated spot. After a few trials and errors, I found the access which had a dirt road access. It was nice to see the activity, which reminded me of my kitesurfing days, back in 2000 - 2001, in Recife. Despite the heat, it was nice to watch the activity and chat to the guys.

So, having chilled a bit, I started my way back to the hotel. However, I had misjudged the offroad capabilities of my rental Nissan. About half way back to the highway, I got stuck in a patch of soft sand. What a bummer! It does give you a tremendous sinking feeling, when you realize your car is going nowhere, nobody around, and the heat outside is stunning. 

But what to do? If you're stuck, you're stuck. Without much fuss, I left the car, and walked back to the kitesurfing spot, where I found prompt and generous help. I sure took a bit of sweat and effort, but soon we had the car out of the soft sand patches, and I was on my way home.

Looking back, I had a great lesson: Would I have been better off if I had stayed in my air-conditioned hotel room? Never in life! I had a great time. I met new people, I received their generous and friendly help. And despite the sweat I felt much better, than if I had stayed in my confy chair. 

Dubai Dhows

 Last week during a visit to Dubai I discovered a shed which stored half a dozen beutiful dhows, which seem to be in racing trim. They all seemed in good order, what makes me believe that they are regularly raced. I was specially attracted by the lovely woodwork.

Long term

Strange how we are subject to influence. Our behavior is is not at all straight lined as we would sometimes wish it to be. We long for growth, spiritual and material. We strive for objectives, we endeavor to establish relationships. But we are hardly able to grasp all influences that are relevant to the above mentioned challenges. Sometimes, matters impervious to our conscious mind hinder us altogether to walk the course we have laid out on our chart. A night of bad sleep, loneliness, food, even the moon influences our performance and well being.