Our friend, Pearl

We are often anchored off St. Thomas in the USVI these days, but we have a car and storage on Tortola.  When we make the half day sail up to Tortola we like to call Nanny Cay home base.  Our friend has a boat anchored in the lagoon just across from the docks at Nanny Cay and has extended an open invitation for us to raft up to her any time we are in the area.  


 We don't pay rent to stay rafted to Pearl, our friend only asks that we go aboard and open a couple hatches and let her get some fresh air when we are around.  


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Engine Room Vents

Working around rain showers I've been installing engine room vents.  The scare of carbon monoxide leaking from the engine room into the living space of the the boat has Sasha and me taking this project pretty serious.

We designated two of the small outboard compartments over the engine room as exhaust boxes.  All our engine exhaust runs through these compartments (one on each side of the boat) We are also cutting two inch holes in the deck and fitting them with eight inch tall fiberglass pipes to create vents.  The compartment on one side of the boat will be the air intake and the compartment on the other side of the boat will have a large fan blower that will force air out of the engine room. 

Above is one of the two inch wide by eight inch long fiberglass tubes.
This material runs twenty dollars per foot down here on Tortola!  Yikes!

Once I had holes cut in the deck (and ground to metal around the holes) I used a fillet of thickened epoxy to join the fiberglass tube to the deck of the boat.  After letting that set up a few minutes I cut fiberglass cloth and, soaking each layer with thinned epoxy, I piled on four layers of cloth per tube.  

These suckers are not going anywhere!  Now I need to sand, prime, and paint the tubes to protect them from UV damage.  Also, notice the step I installed just above the tubes.  It is tapped and bolted in place for now, eventually we will have our guy Teddy come out and do some welding with us.
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VENDÉE GLOBE 2016, THE TEASER


Almost two years for the start of the big one, the more extreme of all sailing races, and there are already 4 pré entries:-) and as you can see, also a nice teaser. There will be new boats and the main decision in what regards design seems to be about to decide if foils are to be used. They can be used but will they be an advantage? will they not be two fragile and dificult or impossible to replace if broken? I guess that at least some will try them, there is time...and it will be fun, not to mention instructive, DSS and all. While we wait let's remember the best moments of the last edition: 

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The Wet Corner

Update on the wet corner.  Parts finally arrives to hook up the faucet and spray attachment so Sasha put it all together for me.  Very excited to have a working sink area -- and it's so big!   


This is not exactly how the sink area will be used in the day to day operation onboard, but while we are still constructing it's nice to have lots of space to stow things when we go sailing!  


I'm practicing my fine wood working skills by making a dish draining rack behind the sinks.  This rack is made of a combination of materials (that are all left over from other projects).  I'm using laminated plywood, mahogany plywood, fiberglass panels, mahogany board, and lots of epoxy to protect and stick it all together.  I'll post some close up pictures, it looks pretty good for being a scrap wood project! 



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The Design Process for Custom Yachts


Tank testing can also be used to test the yacht in various sea states, under power and even at rest. We will normally test appendages such as skegs, stabilizers, propeller struts, and bilge keels for optimization.

Contract Design & Engineering Phase
The goal of this stage is to obtain competitive bids from the yards. Once a technically feasible and acceptable preliminary design is obtained and approved, we then undertake the contract design work. For the contract design stage we would refine and embellish the work done in the preliminary design stage, develop Typical Construction Plans, and undertake the necessary naval architecture and engineering calculations in support of this work.

A key part of this stage is the specification which would include all the major equipment, their manufacturer and model number, along with various schematics of the acoustic treatment, and of the engineering systems. In the case of a competitive bid situation, the plans, and in particular the very detailed specification, insure that the yards are bidding on the same boat, minimizing the number of assumptions made by them. This means that all the yards are "playing on an even field".

In the event a client decides to go to a sole source, then we would provide a "bullet list" specification. This type of specification is much reduced in scope, but does identify every major piece of equipment by manufacturer and model number. In this way you can be assured that the yard is providing you a price for the boat that you want, again with a few assumptions.

Identifying Candidate Yards
There are several factors which influence the choice of yards for the bidders "short list":
-Choice of hull construction material. Most yards specialize in a particular material. In addition, as the yacht increases in size fewer and fewer yards can physically accommodate the project. Therefore size and scantling materials limit the choice of yards.
-Level of quality required. This is a difficult variable to quantify. An analogy with automobiles is probably the best way to explain this point. All automobile manufacturers provide reliable and comfortable transportation. However, there is a real and perceived difference in quality between the car makers. The same is true of boat yards.
-Geographic location of the yard. Some clients like to be very intensely involved in the construction process, and therefore prefer yards close to their home and office.
-Special financial conditions. The "market" often provides opportunities which are worth pursuing. This may take the form of favorable exchange rates, government subsidies, or a yard that, for various reasons, decides to provide a low price.

There is risk and reward associated with the above choices. At Sparkman & Stephens we have worked with dozens of yards throughout the world. As a result of this extensive experience, we feel very comfortable in assisting you through the yard selection process.

Evaluation of Yard Bids
Upon receipt of the bids, be they competitive or sole source, we would assist you in an analysis of the bids. Based on our experience, we have compiled a substantial amount of price and man hour data. This allows us to determine if the yards are being realistic in terms of material costs, labor hours, total cost of the project, and the duration of the construction period.

We believe there is such a thing as too good a price. What is meant by this is the yard may not deliver the yacht consistent with your expectations. There are several consequences of this as follows:
-The yacht may not be to the quality you expect.
-The yard could request additional funds to complete the yacht.
-The yard could go bankrupt.

We feel we have an obligation to advise you of the potential risks of working with a yard which, in our view, has misjudged or misunderstood the quality or scope of work you require. This evaluation has served our client's extremely well over the years.

Non-Legal Advice on the Construction Contract
While we do not offer ourselves as lawyers, again on the basis of our experience with many yards and many contracts, we can provide assistance to your attorneys in formulating a yard contract. Also, being familiar with the construction process, the process of how changes to the yacht are made, and decisions during the construction process, we know where the usual problems occur. Accordingly, we can advise you of ways to protect your interests.

Final Design & Engineering Phase
This is the last stage of the design process, and is the real "meat" of the project. We believe very strongly in complete and detailed design and engineering. It is absolutely critical that the naval architect provide the shipyard as much information as is possible to produce the yacht. Based on this information an experienced yard can develop the necessary shop drawings for the construction of your yacht.

Many yards building large yachts have design and engineering staffs of their own which are very useful in the course of building the vessel. It is important, however, for the naval architect to coordinate the technical process. This is because the naval architect is directly employed by the client to oversee his interests, while the shipyard is working on a contract basis and is trying to save man-hours and material costs wherever possible.

Often the Plan and Calculations List expands or contracts based on how you want to structure the project. For example, should you decide to use an interior designer, the plans associated with this work would be dropped from our list. There are also some technical drawings that the yard can provide. However, these plans should be subject to the review and approval of the naval architect.

The reason for this is straightforward. A yacht is a floating object containing many systems which must be integrated. For example, if you add a Satcom to the navigation station/electronics equipment, this decision will impact the electrical system, aesthetics, weights, trim, stability, and a structural support must be designed which is integrated with the rest of the yacht's structure. For this reason the naval architect is in the best position to coordinate all of these aspects.

Coordination of Outside Consultants
We are very comfortable undertaking all engineering aspects for the design of a typical yacht, but are not too proud to seek assistance from other professionals, when the need arises. For example, we would specify the acoustic treatment for a typical level of noise attenuation. Should you want an ultra-quiet yacht, then we would recommend involving an acoustics expert to assist us in achieving your goals. Again, for the reasons mentioned above, we feel this should be coordinated through the naval architect.

Equipment Procurement Assistance
In the course of designing yachts built all over the world for an international clientele, we become acquainted with a wide variety of equipment. In this way we are familiar with some of the best equipment for the job, and invoke this equipment in the specification. Should you or the yard need assistance in contacting manufacturers or their agents, we can save you time by assisting you in making the contact, or with the purchase itself.

Yard Inspections
While we pride ourselves on providing a very complete design and engineering package, we are also realistic about deviations which can be made from the plans, and changes which inevitably occur in the course of construction. For these reasons we consider inspections important to the success of the project. It helps us to establish a working technical liaison with the yard, allows us to resolve any problems and respond to any questions which inevitably arise during the course of the construction. The inspections also allow us to monitor progress and quality of the work on your behalf.

Review Requests for Yard Progress Payments
Typical contract terms are to make payments based on construction progress. As we are involved in technical dialogue with the yard during the entire construction process, and undertake inspection trips, we are in a good position to advise you when progress satisfies the payment terms of the contract.

Evaluate Yard Extras and Credits
In a project of the size and complexity of a custom yacht, it is inevitable that changes will be made. During the construction process the design will change from two dimensional drawings to three dimensional reality. As a result, it is not unusual for an owner or his design team to want to make some adjustments at this time. It should take about a year to build an average size yacht and two or three years to build a large yacht. In this period of time there will inevitably be changes in technology resulting in new materials and equipment which better suit your needs. It is important, therefore, to allow for a level of flexibility during the construction process.

If your design team (exterior stylist/interior designer, and naval architect/engineer) have sufficient time prior to construction to complete their work, then this would minimize the number of other changes. It has been our experience, under proper conditions, for extras to be within 5%.

On the basis of our experience with many yards over many years, we are able to advise you whether or not the yard is being fair concerning their charges for materials and labor hours associated with an extra or a credit.


Sea Trials
The sea trials are the culmination of everyone's efforts. While the construction process has been monitored very carefully, and some systems have been run prior to launching, the "acid test" is the sea trials. Our typical specification has several pages devoted to the extent of the sea trials, and its protocol.

Sparkman & Stephens would expect to be present during the sea trials to undertake measurements and assist in the evaluation of all operating aspects of the yacht. Inevitably the trials uncover a short list of deficiencies which we would help identify, along with suggestions for correcting these deficiencies.

Assistance During Hand-Over Process
This is the day you become the proud owner of your new yacht. Often there are a few items either unfinished, back ordered, or to be corrected, and, of course, there is a tremendous amount of paperwork and money changing hands. Having been involved in this process in the past, we can provide you with guidance based on our experience.

Follow-Up on Potential Warranty Work
A typical yard warranty, exclusive of equipment manufacturer's warranties, is for one year. There are exceptions to this in certain circumstances. For example, in the case of a fiberglass boat, several of our clients want an extended guarantee against bottom osmosis.

Regardless of the terms of the warranty, Sparkman & Stephens is prepared to assist you and your captain in evaluating any problems, identifying responsibility, and having the building yard properly execute the remedial work. In the event it is not convenient to return to the building yard, we know of very capable yards worldwide, and would assist you in locating an alternate yard, which is acceptable to the building yard.

Ongoing Technical Support
It is the policy of Sparkman & Stephens to support our yachts and assist their owners regardless of the age of the vessel. For this reason we archive our records for safe keeping, including plans and all technical documents, at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut, in the event a question arises. We have ready access to this technical data.

We are constantly receiving inquiries about yachts designed twenty, forty, or even sixty years ago. Because of our extensive records and well organized archives, we are able to respond to these inquiries factually and expeditiously.

What does this mean to you as an owner? It is important in two respects. First, it is a measure of Sparkman & Stephens commitment to the yacht, and second, anyone who is considering purchasing a Sparkman & Stephens’ yacht regardless of the vintage knows that they will receive the full support and assistance from the Design Department.
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64' Burger Flybridge Cruiser


I snapped this image of this nice looking Burger today at the Palm Beach Boat Show. The boat was originally launched as Tigertayl, in 1975. She is powered by twin Detroit 8V-71 TI marine diesels for a top speed of 17 knots. This is a variation of design #1944 (there were numerous iterations of this design).

Principal Dimensions
LOA 64'-0"
LWL 58'-7"
Beam 16'-8"
Draft 4'-6"
Hull Material: Aluminum
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COMANCHE: FIRST SAILING VIDEO OF WHAT IS SUPPOSEDLY THE FASTEST MONOHULL

I confess that I have mixed feelings about Comanche, the new Maxi designed by Van Peteghem Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) and Guillaume Verdier: It looks enormous, not only a big sailboat but a huge sailboat, incredibly beamy and needing a very numerous crew. Anything but elegant to my eyes. I like monohulls but I have to admit that if Comanche is the way to go in what regards race monohulls, I find much more elegant the maxi trimarans, that are even faster.


On the video we can see how fast the boat goes downwind but also how surprisingly wet is and not even on big seas. I would have expected a 100ft racer to be less wet.

I can't wait for the next Sydney Hobart where Comanche will measure forces, in a race that is not predominantly a downwind race, with some of the fastest Maxis. I have no doubt that the Comanche is the fastest monohull downwind, but in what regards racing upwind in nasty seas, I have some doubts. That's why I think the next Sydney Hobart will be so interesting

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Jump Seats

For months I've been scratching my head on how to make the saloon as multi functional as possible.  We want it to feel big and open, but we also need it to serve as. . .  
a place to have meals, 
possible bunk room for friends who want to crash with us, 
extra office space for when Sasha and I both need to do desk work, 
corral for our friends' babies, 
storage area during summer haul out,
navigation station during long crossings, 
living room on the day to day.

I think I've come up with some slick solutions but we'll see how well I'm able to execute the ideas.  

Step one:  Jump Seats.  I've decided that extra seats along the wall are a perfect fit for our space.  These seat were made to bend in when in the up position.  Right now the seat is help up with a bit of string.  I have old lever lap seat belts in the mail that I will use to secure the seats against the wall.   

When the seat folds down the mahogany trim drops to become the legs of the chair.  Cushions are in the mail.  I will add a two inch foam cushion to the seat once I find someone in the USVI who can do canvas work at reasonable prices!
I may incorporate storage into the design further down the road, for now I'm keeping it simple.  

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Finishing up the Fridge Box

After many week of work and mess I'm on the home stretch.  I'm onto fairing the corners and smoothing the seams.  I want things smooth and easy to wipe down for the many washings this fridge will undergo in the future.  


In the photo above you can see both of the holes I've cut in the fridge.  One in the front for a nice wide door and one in the top to so I can share an evaporator plate with my pizza prep area.  


Here is a close look at the seam between the interior and the exterior walls.  There I have to span three inches of insulation with lots of epoxy and fiberglass chop cloth.  


A look at the inside of the fridge.  After sanding all the seams smooth, I put two coats of epoxy over the entire interior to make it one watertight surface.  


Sasha and I are too cheap to buy the special attachment to connect the shop-vac to the sander so I got creative with my mustache-print duct tape.  


I learned my lesson last time I sanded fiberglass inside the boat--- it make a huge mess!  This time I taped up drop cloth that I pinned closed  when I was working to help contain the dust.  It did a nice job of controlling the mess, but it was hot, hot, hot inside!

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Design 2731 - Manhattan Sailing Club Dinghy Dock


If you recall, back in 2001-2002 we designed the floating clubhouse for the Manhattan Sailing Club, the Honorable William Wall,
The dinghy dock was to be moored in the shallow flats behind and southwest of the Statue of Liberty. The barge was designed to accommodate 7 Lasers, 6 Sunfishes and 12 Optimists for the school's dinghy program. The boats would be stored on carpeted ramps. The floating facility's design also included toilet rooms and an observation deck. In the end the school purchased an existing barge due to cost constraints.

You can learn more about the floating clubhouse and the dinghy sailing program by visiting Manhattan Sailing Club's website by clicking
Principal Dimensions
LOA 90'-0"
Beam 30'-0"
Draft 2'-0" (light ship)
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VOR: AND ONE FOR THE GIRLS!



Cheers to them that won nice and cleanly the Abu Dhabi in Port race. On the weak wind wins they showed that they are incredibly good sailors. My take is that on this type of boat, with lots of changing of heavy sails they are at disadvantage on stronger and changeable condition; Just less physical power to do all the heavy work (and those big sails are heavy). Curiously I think that on a solo boat, being almost all sails on furlers women are less disadvantaged then here regarding the different physical power.

They are all now at sea again on their way to China, all very close with the Chinese boat leading. If they arrive first at Sanya it would be a big party for the Chinese and would do wonders for the sail popularity there. I wish them good luck with that.:-)

http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/dashboard.html
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MORE ABOUT THE POGO 36


Well, not much, only images but as they say "images are worth more than a thousand words" and through them we can see a very modern sailboat, kind of a cruiser on a 36ft solo open racer hull, a bit as it was already with the 10.50, but the hull is more modern now with chines, a huge form stability and designed to sail with little heel.

The boat looks even better than on the model I had posted the photo and we have now a look at the interior, that seems to have doors :-) What we can see a modern interior not very different from the one of the 10.50 but with a lot more light, coming from those frontal "windows", that will allow a good forward view, and from bigger port hulls.

The saloon is probably smaller since the boat has now 3 cabins and the head is now between the front cabin and the saloon. An interesting detail allows the galley to be bigger, with the use of a bench aft the saloon table.

It seems a worse distribution than on the previous model since a storage space will be needed anyway. Regarding that, the front cabin can be transformed on a storage space. Better to fly a spinnaker but worse in what regards cruising. The design is from Finot/Conq that just used the same type of frontal "windows" used first by Valer on the JPK 10.80

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Design 2244 - Siska


We don't have any small scale study plans on hand for this yacht but we're posting an article nonetheless. It's an interesting design. The boat was designed for the famous Australian sailor
Principal Dimensions
LOA 51'-5"
LWL 38'-10"
Beam 13'-7"
Draft 9'-0"
Displacement 31,593 lbs
Sail Area 1,112 sq ft
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Design 1996 - Palawan IV


This is the largest of the S&S Palawans designed for
Here are the plans.


Principal Dimensions
LOA 67'-6"
LWL 50'-6"
Beam 17'-6"
Draft 6'-8" (board up) 13'-7" (board down)
Displacement 106,800 lbs
Ballast 28,200 lbs
Sail Area 1,926 sq ft
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Taking Off!

Sasha snapped this picture just before we took off for the summer.
Notice the full laundry lines?  Yeah.  Not how I pictured leaving the boat for summer storage.

We planned to leave Tortola on a noon ferry.  This would leave plenty of time to do one last load of laundry - work clothes, sheets, towels, etc.   Great idea!   Until it's 10am, everything has been through the washer and none of the dryers are working.  We don't currently have a car (another long story) so I could take a taxi to town to use the dryer at another laundrymat OR we could use some spare line to string everything up and hope it's dry when we come back in two months.  Obviousley we decided on the latter.  
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OLD WAYS TO BUILD A BOAT



Yes, this one is about Nostalgia. I saw on the net an old movie about boat building in England 70 years ago, a movie that contrary to the usual had a good image. I found it interesting and it made me remember the times where that type of boat building was one of the main activities on the fishing town of Peniche (Portugal), the port near my house. Here on the 70's the traditional wood boat building was still a florescent business and almost all fishing boats were made locally.
On the 80's I bought my first sailboat, an old and traditional Canoa do Tejo and with the help of naval carpenters I modified it for coastal cruising, closing the boat with a full deck and increasing the size of the keel with a steel structure with 200kg of lead inside. It worked, the stability was increased and I sailed the west coast of Portugal with it. Great memories. I hope you enjoy the movie and if not, forgive this sentimental journey :-)
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Design 2752 - Aileen


Click here to access a new video by Billy Black about Aileen, the 48' spirit of tradition sloop.
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Adding a little more funk

Sasha and I have been going back and forth on what to do with the brow of the pilot house.  Usually on work boats, the brow is painted something bright to stand out.  We both decided we didn't want to go bright, so instead we went funky.  I painted the brow in a variety of different lined patterns, all in two-tone gray and it definitely stands out.


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Design 5 - Thalia


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Preliminary Design - 112' Performance Sloop


Here's a preliminary design of a 112' performance sloop, that was prepared in 2006. It was based on utilizing the basic engineering of s/y Zingaro, design #2642, but with a lower profile and a different layout. I think it's a great general arrangement plan.

Principal Dimensions
LOA 111'-7"
LWL 91'-10"
Beam 24'-9"
Draft 13'-0"
Displacement 213,587 lbs
Ballast 60,000 lbs
Sail Area 4,370 sq ft
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XC 45 MKII


The Xc45 was the 2009 European boat of the year. I liked the boat as soon I saw it except for two small details, the interior that even high quality looked a bit dated and uncharacteristic and the weight that looked a bit high to me for a 45ft modern boat (13220kg) even in one maximized for cruising. That could be solved at least partially with a more modern designed keel and a bigger draft. The max draft is only 2.2m and that on a 45ft boat is not much. Depending on the area of cruising a 2.5m would seem more appropriate to me (as max draft) and would offer a bigger protection to the rudder.

The rudder is the most fragile part of the boat and it is a bad idea to have a rudder that is not a lot less deep than the keel, at least on the med when the boat goes to the quay backwards. In many small town ports the bottom rises sharply near the quay. What is the use of having a smaller draft if that way the first thing to hit the ground can be the rudder? Better to have a much deeper keel, compared with the rudder, to be sure that it is the keel that hits the bottom first. Hitting slowly a soft bottom with the keel is not a problem, now hitting the bottom with the rudder going backwards, even slowly, can be a big problem. I believe that, at least for the med, the boat would be better with a 2.5m draft and that, in conjunction with a more modern keel would make the boat about 1000kg lighter.

Regarding the hull even if it remains actual, maybe it would have some advantages to have the beam a bit more pulled back, a bit like the designer, Niels Jeppesen, has done on the new XP55.

Anyway this is a great cruising boat and the excellent sailing performances of all Xc45 that have crossed the Atlantic on the ARC proves that it is a very fast boat in cruising conditions, fast and beautiful. A bit on the classic side, but a boat that will age very well in what regards looks.

The good news is that the design of the new interior is great and at least judging by the pictures it looks much more cozy and modern. I liked a lot, now I like it even more ;-)
Looking at  these movies we can see a lot regarding how the boat sails and it sails remarkably well:  A great cruiser even with a short crew or solo.
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Stern Cabinets

We are still in the rough phase of building, but the cabinets are pretty much in place.  I am back in business with a new camera body so I snapped some pics today before we progress much further.  


Standing in the the galley looking forward.  On the left is a blank wall that will eventually hold copies of our business license and other mandatory postings.  Next to that is a small cupboard that holds our dishes and flatware, there is usually a door on this but it's off for a coat of epoxy right now.   To the right of the walk way is more shelving that will hold a two burner stove below and oven tools above.   

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First Annual Anegada Festival of Paperwork

Yep.  Having fifty friends from the mainland in our backyard for a long weekend was pretty great.
 Only wish it could have lasted a few more days!   


 The weekend was well documented by our very talented Shira.    

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The Heart of Operations


Probably not what you expected, but yes.  The head is the heart of our living quarters right now.   



Things left to do in this room…. I'd like to trim out under the sink to make it look a little more finished and I have tile to hang on the shower wall and the wall behind the toilet were the mirror is hanging.  
 
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