Riff Raff floats

Latest from West Wales

The lovely Lara from Swallow Yachts (the one who really runs the place) sent me a photo today of Riff Raff afloat. These days, those cunning people at Swallow Yachts make sure that their boats actually float before entrusting them to their future owners. It’s probably called the  f(onp)t* or some such wizzy quality system** acronym. No doubt it’s all written down in the build instructions. Somewhere it will be recorded and I’ll be presented with a suitable print out showing the length of time she was afloat, the amount of water ingress and whether or not this met the specified maximum leakage rate. This will, of course, be included with the signed off build certificate, warranty card and owners manual………I notice the sheep weren’t particularly interested.

This is all very well and fitting for the 21st Century but it leaves open to doubt whether or not this test qualifies as the launch? This is serious stuff. If it does, will the certificate show that appropriate libations were made to Neptune, or is he now gritting his teeth in anger, grabbing his trident (or whatever)  and getting ready to launch a flight of vengeful winds and wet fish at her next time she floats into his domain?

On the other hand, she is not yet showing a name, so perhaps he might not recognise her next time.***

I’ll let you know.

 

*Floats (Owner not Present) Test

** a process whereby a bookfull of written instructions result in the completion of a 25 page checklist confirming that the boat has been built in accordance with the instructions, whether or not same instuctions are correct.

*** Fat chance of that, I thought gods were meant to be all seeing etc etc.

How many G cramps to hold a boat together?

Progress!

The two halves of Riff Raff are being glued together as I write (that’s the deck* and hull** bottom, not bow*** and stern**** sections nor the port and starboard sides****).

I learnt of this almost by accident and immediately commissioned Jamie (the Works Manager) to take some photographs. They’re all mostly of G clamps, like this one:

It looks as if the compass, bilge^ pump and some sailing instruments have been installed and the winches on top of the cabin. The galley^^ is not yet complete and the cubby holes in the sides of the cockpit coaming have not yet been installed. I hope they’re not forgotten…The rectangular holes in the sides of the cockpit are lockers that will eventually sport lids and the round hole in the cockpit sole ^^^ leads to a tank where the water ballast ^^^^ resides.

Jamie, Thanks for the photo’s! And I think the answer to the question above is “lots”.

 

Glossary

*Deck – the bit that keeps the water out of the hull**

** Hull – the bit that makes the boat float provided it’s not full of water see* above

*** Bow – the pointy bit at the front

**** the less pointy bit at the back

***** left and right (or red and green******)

****** the colour of the navigation lights for the appropriate side

^ bilge – where the water goes (eventually) if the deck (see * above) leaks

^^ nautical term for kitchen

^^^ Cockpit sole = eg the floor of the cockpit

^^^^ ballast – a heavy weight to help keep the boat upright – not to be confused with crew.

I’ve run out of suitable indicators (as I can’t make this text do superscripts) so will befine crew in a later post…