17/05/2008
More Oil.............
17/05/2008
Look at the character of wood coming out with a lish of Danish Oil
17/05/2008
Well, it's been another manic week with too much on including having to drive into the early hours of the morning twice.
I have always been blessed with a lot of energy so it's not often that I get really tired but this was the week that I did and I took the day off yesterday to work on 'Spirit of Mystery'. As ever she was the tonic that I needed.
When I started this project my intention was to spend fifty percent of my time building but this has slipped as we get closer to the launch day for we have to have all our ducks in a row for the programme to work from then on.
There is a lot too this project when you stop and think about it; Mandy opened our mobile shop at the Devon Show on Thursday which called for a huge effort from tents to tills, credit card machines and of course the merchandising and branding. I will get a picture up next week.
The education programme is moving along very nicely and I look forward to a variety of things from the web based module to seeing 1,800 kids though the boat and National Maritime Museum in Falmouth over a ten day period in September.
We are about to work in detail on the background for our communications from the website through to the equipment on the boat and how it is all going to mesh. It's pretty much pinned down but we need to get the detail right.
I have a number of sponsors that we are going to carve into the hull and I am pulling things together on that front. Flags, web links, strap lines, PR angles, dates and all the other stuff that one does.
Insurance, the boat has just been surveyed and we are wrestling our way through insurance for the boat. The good news is that we will be covered right through to Australia.
Clothing, I have been chatting to Nigel Musto about our gear. I will only sail with Musto as it's the best gear on the market and having spent a lot of time helping with development I know what I am putting on my back when I go on deck to face a raging storm and I wouldn't have anything else.
Cornwall Playing For Success - this is looking good in that the project can do so much for it and I am at a trustees meeting on Monday to start pinning down detail. CPFS is such a good thing and it looks like we are about to really start growing. Yesterday I booked three more school visits in the diary which is getting pretty full.
Then of course there is the launch and naming ceremony. There is a lot to do on this but we have the framework in place and I feel confident that we will have a couple of really nice family events that are open to anyone that wants to join in on our big day.
Looking at the project one area that I am not happy with is the historical research and I have decided to look for someone who can help with this as I am just too busy. There is a lot that I want to do on this, indeed I want to write a book, and I can see me that the best I can do is to collate everything and then come back to it on my return from Australia. I will be able to do some on the voyage itself but the detailed stuff will have to wait.
Then of course there is 'Spirit of Mystery' herself who is keeping us all on our toes as she gets ready for launching in five weeks time. Chris and his team are fantastic and I will ever be grateful for their skills, work ethic and outlook.
Yesterday saw the deck sanded and oiled and it looks absolutely stunning......................
13/05/2008
Mark Lloyd popped down to do some more professional shots of the project and I thought I might put this one up as it shows how she is coming along.
