s/v Silver Tern: January 2013

January 5, 2013

Silver Tern Blog Update

Two days back from Canada, readjusting to the Philippines:

Well it’s definitely hot enough here. This afternoon was so hot and humid I thought I might faint as I vacuumed the construction dust from the inside of boat cupboards. We have to drink copious amounts of water to keep hydrated. But the end of the day is around the corner and cold San Miguel beers and company of other yachties await after work. We are meeting up at a food stand in Carmen Plaza for an informal happy hour.

Silver Tern’s interior is now spectacular. It was exciting to climb aboard yesterday and see all the finish work. The hand built hardwood floor made from Philippine rosewood and birch has been completed and its shiny varnish complements the polished white walls and countertops.

The decks and cockpit have been painted white, with non-skid where appropriate, the aluminum topsides sanded and the rails and other exterior aluminum polished. The custom-fabricated aluminum hatches are now glazed with smoky lexan. We are very pleased with the work that was done over the last six months while we were comfortably at home in Canada.

Steve will now spend the next few weeks completing plumbing and electrical projects. The yard will do the final gluing of the curved lexan windows that surround the salon house and give the Mumby catamaran its unique starship look.

It seems as if our reaction to the impressive design of the Mumby 48 is becoming more mainstream. There are now six boats being finished in Tim’s small boatyard, another four under construction across the bay, two at anchor in the bay and at least one recently completed boat out cruising in the area

Our sails and rigging lines need to be reattached and we have a storage locker full of boat gear that we will take aboard before we head out to anchor. There’s a lot to be done but we think we can start sailing in a month or two. In the meantime, we are staying in a private oceanfront home, renting an air conditioned master bedroom.

Our rural neighborhood is on a mangrove peninsula that protects the Carmen Bay boat anchorage. The larger homes are on the open ocean side where they catch the afternoon wind and hear the sounds of waves slapping the shore while more modest Filipino homes are on the quieter mangrove side with a narrow dirt road in-between. Here and there, families of squatters have moved onto empty lots and built tin shacks. Friendly, half clad children wave as we pass by on the way to the boatyard at the end of the road.

We are slowly getting used to being back to work boat building. The yard is hot and dusty, but we can rest in our air conditioned room at lunch and try to avoid the hottest part of the day. We can't believe we own such a beautiful new boat.