Ship: 99.5% ready - with ballroom

After a long, intensive day, I'm now enjoying the quiet of the evening on deck and the still balmy air. .

This morning, boat builder Helge disembarked after being here for another two weeks to continue building.

In addition to 10,000 little things, the focus was on the entrance area. There are now

• Cork flooring in the entrance area
• An easily foldable worktop in the guest kitchen
• A proper collection point for bottles
• Intermediate shelves in the shoe rack
• An extra shelf for my 20 scarves
• An in-built filter for drinking water
• A proper waste collection point
• A coffee machine - especially for seminar visitors and guests
• A safe place for the Queen to stand (she had fallen from her seat on the day of Brexit and lost her head. We glued it back on. And gave her a new, secure location,

Every single structural change makes life on board easier or more beautiful. Emotionally and visually, the light-coloured glazed cork naturally makes the biggest difference. Instead of feeling like you're in a cramped cave, you now feel like you're in a dance hall.

99.5 % Basic-finished

You're never really finished with a project like this. Of course, there are still a thousand little things missing and a few big things, such as a good fireplace for the seminar room. But if you're always looking at what could theoretically be perfectly finished and still be done, you'll never be finished. And never have the pleasure of uttering those wonderful three words: „I'm done!“

That's why I have defined three levels for myself

Basic-ready„ level“ means: Everything works. Currently still missing

• A door in the seminar room
• A storage cupboard for the guest kitchen (although the fruit crates improvised for this purpose also do a good job)
• Drawers in the bathroom
• Working cooker in my kitchen

Luxury ready„ level“ means: Everything is chic

• In the seminar room there is a good fireplace and a fine table for coaching
• The stairs down are easy to manage even for inexperienced climbers
• All corners and edges are panelled
• The engine room has wall panelling with deep black insulation
• The path to the guest rooms also has cork flooring
• Built-in wardrobe in the guest room or drawers.
• Ventilation for the whole ship (80% ready)
• Fancy lamps... sometimes we improvise with jam jars screwed to the ceiling
• ...

Level „Outside finished „ means: everything is chic on the outside too

• Good seating and reclining furniture for all visitors and guests (ok, for me too)
• Wooden flooring instead of metal, which gets very hot in summer and very slippery in winter
• Flower boxes on the roof
• Good, easily portable kayaks or canoes
• A cosy fireplace / fire basket
• Extension of the solar system so that the ship has good light in winter.

• 

  ,,,

There is still a lot to do. But for now, I'm delighted with everything that has been achieved.

This is what it looked like at the beginning...99.5 & is quite a long way when you think about what it looked like at the beginning.

But the best thing is: the ship fulfils its purpose - regardless of whether it is 70 or 99% ready. A few days ago, three young women were once again on board, looking for guidance for their lives and wondering whether Germany, and possibly Berlin, could be the place where they have a mission. Hosting them, talking to them and supporting them in their search for answers is the mission of the ship and of me personally.

And it makes us happy when we - my ship and I - can live what we are meant to live.