6-13.

While we're waiting for paint coats to go on and dry, I took an afternoon to build Shadowfax a set of weave poles.  With obedience training going well, I decided she's ready for more fun.  She supervised construction and here she is checking out the finished product.  These are bigger than a standard set, but should be better for learning.  We've already started training - she's going to catch on fast. 

Next on the list of things to build is a pause table (she knows the command 'table,' but she's left a couple scratches on a table in the house, so I think it's time she got her own official table).  Then when the boat is finished I will have the time and tools to start on more detailed construction projects of see-saws, A-frames, cross-overs, and jumps (and have time for training of course)!

Depending on weather, we should be able to put the 4th coat of paint on the hull this weekend.  While sanding the 2nd coat, we were getting down to primer in spots, so we will have to go to a finer grit sand paper.  Today Daddy told me that the 3rd coat we put on Monday looks really nice now!  We should run out of Bristol Beige (hull color) after the 4th coat, so we'll flip her over and start on the insides after that. 

End of May

Don't know if I mentioned this in an earlier post, but I just came across the pictures of it.  Before we flipped the boat to start painting, we decided to add a block of maple on the end of the centerboard case to attach the mainsheet pulley to.  This is a deviation from the way the rigging is called for in the plans, so we'll see how it works!  It should hopefully simplify things and get ropes out of the way, plus I will be more accustomed to it since it is very similar to the way the Blue Tang is rigged.  

We have an advanced system of varnishing and painting parts to avoid runs and imperfections from drying on a surface.  It uses pieces of flexible scrap wire and a ladder, and it works surprisingly well (once you figure out how to hang the piece you've just painted most of without it touching anything in the process and then how to paint the remainder of the piece while it hangs and wants to swing back and forth)!

And we have put the first coat of colored paint on the hull!  My dad's out of town now, so we've paused for the next coat (we'll probably do three coats).  The paint dries very fast while we're working, so it takes two of us to roll and smooth to keep a wet line and a good-looking finished product.  Fortunately the hull is a pretty straight forward surface.  It will be more challenging with all the corners and different surfaces in the interior!