I get to the boat and to my great joy, I see that the center plate has been lifted. Lifted by what? By the cable of course; attached to the winch, attached to the rope that you use to lift the center plate.

A long time ago

Today

So, I am elated. I  see an acceleration in the project.

One of the past difficulties was the center plate retaining pin. It was still there, high in the center plate casing. It is ungetatable, horribly bent and twisted, thus unremovable. I try to work out how to zap it. Drill it out? Cut away big portion of the casing to get access to it?

Kiyuna san sees problems differently. He tapes a 500 yen hacksaw to an old  saw blade, slides it up from below and saws through the pin.

Artificial Intelligence will change all this.

Center plate retaining pin. I am going to get my ear lobe drilled so I can wear this as an ear ring.

I meet up with Kiyuna san. My vision of a straight run in, all major problems having been solved, is dashed. He explains that the winch is shot. It will lift the plate up a certain distance but not fully. Once up, the plate stays up, refusing to drop down under its own weight.

I say, “But, er, I mean, can’t we try to adjust the winch and spray on lots of WD 40?”

It is no good. Kiyuna san clearly does not like the winch. It offends him. He is determined to install a different system and he has been right about everything so far.

So be it, but obviously this will take time.

Boat from different angle.

To make myself useful, I unpack the lego kit of screws, bolts, cleats, latches, blocks, navigation lights, etc, that came with the boat.  Where they all go is a fascinating puzzle.

This may not mean a lot to you but it means a lot to me.  Accoutrements laid out from bowsprit cap all the way back to stern navigation light.

Bowsprit cap with bobstay. Such vocabulary!

Bow navigation light with Sampson Post retaining bolts

Broken cleats with a winch. I have no idea what the winch is for.

Stern navigation light and stern mooring cleats, I think.

Nearer and nearer comes the time,

The time that shall surely be.

When the Earth shall be filled with the glory of God

And my boat will be launched on the sea.