Wednesday 18th June

Arrived at the Yard about 0800. After meeting a few of the main people I’ll be working with we went to have a look at the boat. It was outside the shed as they were in the process of turning the hull over. We spent 10 or fifteen minutes having a look and then went back and began our meeting which ran until midday the next day. After an hour or maybe 45 minutes, the phrase “shall we go get a coffee” is uttered and the Fins are out of their seats. We wandered over to the kitchen and al had a coffee. Very strong (almost espresso but by the mug instead of the shot). After we’d been back in the meeting for a little while we got the word that they were ready to lift the hull. We went over and watched as the 17tons of hull shell (plus perhaps double that again in the plug) was lifted off it’s supports and then suspended approximately 1m off the ground began to role over as one side was lifted and the other lowered. It was gently turned, over about half an hour and we then retired back to our meeting as they spent the rest of the day sitting the hull in its cradle, lifting the plug out of the hull, and then pushing the hull back into the shed. I think we wend back to the hotel about 1800 which Rod told me was reasonably early for his trips. On Thursday the meeting continued in similar style, except finished when Rod left to catch his flight back to the UK. I then spent the afternoon first visiting the new Baltic factory which is being built and is conveniently right next to the dock. At which time they had 2 boats being readied for delivery, both custom boats, a 78’ which was due to leave the following week, and a 77’ which was still a few weeks off (and in need of a rig still). Both were fitted out very nicely inside, with timber venire and upholstery covering all the lightweight carbon structure. After this we briefly went and inspected my Flat, and then did some shopping to get a phone and modem so I was set for communications. After this I went to the supermarket to get my supplies for the long weekend before the shops closed. As I was walking through the store it occurred to me that I needed EVERYTHING. A Pillow, Sheets, Plates, Cutlery, Saucepans, Chopping boards, etc, all of the things you usually have when you move somewhere. Not to mention food. I spent 3 hours at the supermarket and managed to get just about everything I needed to get by on. I still don’t have any appliances, but I can cook simple meals and look after myself as I normally would. I was lucky in a way that the supermarket had everything; if I’d wanted I could have got an angle grinder in one isle, some pop hits from a few isles over and then picked up some fabric softener on the way out. It was like a Coles, combined with Target, Mitre 10 & Liquorland. After this I spent most of the weekend cleaning the Flat, working out where to put things, and surfing the web as the weather was not that great. On Sunday morning I went for a run to nowhere in particular and that afternoon a colleague from work flew in so I picked him up from his hotel and we went out to one of the few places that was open to get some dinner. Faboda is about 10km west of Pietarsaari, and has a nice little Café/Restaurant on the beach where we sat and watched the sun get very, very slowly closer to the horizon. We didn’t stay long enough to see it hit the water, but I’ll have to go back and watch that one day.