Discover life: Craft
Was I alive today?
Yes, especially during those three hours on the deck of my ship… in the wind and sunshine.
What new things have I discovered about life?
Craftsmanship is valuable. To lower my boat’s heating system into the hull, a large hatch had to be removed; it was secured with 82 screws. When closing it, it became apparent that the seal was no longer effective. So we fitted a new one. And at the same time, we decided to fit rubber-lined washers under the screws as well, to prevent moisture from entering the boat through the 82 holes. Delivery time for the washers: one week. Now they’ve arrived. We were ready to get started:
- Round 1: Fit washers to 82 screws.
- Step 2: Insert all the screws through the holes.
- Round 3: One had to be held in place at the top (= me), whilst the nut was loosely screwed on from below with another washer.
- Round 4: Hold the top in place whilst tightening the nut slightly.
- Intermediate stages: replaced about 10 screws whose threads were stripped – something we only realised when tightening them. So we had to take everything apart again.
- Step 5: Tighten all the nuts.
We were finished after three hours. On average, it took us two minutes per bolt (including those we had to replace and screw in twice). Not bad at all. What impressed me was that Helge, the boat builder, knew a dozen little details to look out for. For example, the order in which to tighten the screws to prevent the frame from warping, and that you mustn’t hammer them in too hard to avoid warping. My grandfather was a joiner, but during the war a hand grenade had injured his left arm, so he could no longer practise his trade. So I didn’t really have any proper craftsmen in my circle. I grew up thinking you buy things in shops rather than making them yourself. Now, whilst building this boat, I’m realising just how brilliant it is when people know their materials and how to work with them. It’s incredibly valuable.
What new things have I discovered about myself?
You can tell just by looking at me that I’ve been spending a lot of time on the ship. When I was talking to my best friend about the upcoming women’s conference this weekend – where I’m the keynote speaker – she said I’d best buy some white gloves – apparently my hands aren’t looking very ladylike at the moment. She’s right, of course, but the paint and varnish have eaten so deeply into my hands that they can’t be scrubbed off with soap and a brush. Oh well!
