The Forecastle
U-turn Journal #6

We finished the cabins under the front deck, now properly called forecastle. This is how:

Putting the vertical beams...

Building the floor, so you can work...

Ayanga loads the slide doors...

But not before having fixed the frame angles...

Slide doors mounted

Electricity day...

Each cabin its own hatch

Hatches done

From left: new router, jigsaw, new belt sander (remember the old one?), first carving exercise and far right the causa finalis of all. On background the new rear deck hatch

Line drawings from Google pictures wallpaper-glued to follow with router

The slide door carvings

The Forecastle!

3 months ago I had a  $15,000 dhow nobody wants. Now I will soon have a $150,000 dhow nobody wants. I spent about 60% of our total 3 months work and $5000 refurbishment cost on the forecastle, the rest of it (web pages follow) on refurbishment of the power grid, sanitary premises, rain proof tarpaulin deck floors, bigger canoe, 15 hp outboard and other enhancements.  Not yet paid for is a new mast (that requires finding a suitable eucalyptus tree, USh 20,000 or $6.50), and work remaining is a new slightly higher steering deck roof (we have the wood), the carving of the dhow outside, and of course, I mention this only for those who do not know me, a huge crocodile head to mount front of the bow.