Nothing too exciting happening yet. Our assignment is to research central vacuum systems, including canister size, possible locations, retractable hoses and where to store them, etc. I had no idea there was so much information out there. I've gone through a ream of printer paper gathering the stuff!
The wonderful thing about building a Kadey Krogen is that there is a "family" of cruisers out there ready and willing to help. There is actually a group to which we proudly belong - the Krogen Cruisers. We have a website and are connected by group talks if we choose. Our annual Rendezvous in Solomons, MD is coming up in October.
I recently reached out to a favorite cruiser who not too long ago had the first 52 built. Heck, I'm being modest in saying I "reached out". I'm torturing and bombarding the man with incessant questions about things I didn't even think I knew about last week!
My emails go something like: " Hey Mike, what do you think of your 3M filters on the pilot house windows"? Before he can answer, I'm asking about the pad eyes on the bow (whaaaat are those? I asked myself last week). Next I wildly skip over to where to put a spice rack and what about the extra AC outlets. These are a very small example of the questions Mike finds in his email "in" box nearly every day. Seeing that we're barely into the 1st week of the build, I think I feel sorry for him.
In addition to researching central vacuums, the captain and I had a serious discussion over cocktails today. Topic? Generators! Two vs. one, 16 kw, 12kw, 8kw - it was a conversation any engineer would have been glad to be a part of. We discussed using the generator at anchor, while docking, operating the windlass while dropping the hook and while operating the stabilizers and bow thrusters. Wow, we've had some wild conversations at cocktail time, but this one was a doozy!
Onto a more fun topic - the dinghy. We were so pleased with our little 11' Whaler sport, that we're deciding very heavily in favor of her bigger sister, the 13' Whaler Supersport. Same basic concept, but a bit bigger. The davit on the 55 will support 1200 lbs, so even with the bigger Whaler and a bigger engine, we're nowhere near maximum capacity. This Whaler comes with some interesting options like a color wrap for the hull, different colored lettering, etc. We're a bit ahead of ourselves here, but had to add some levity to the generator discussion if you know what I mean. I already set up the salesperson I used last year to come up with competitive pricing for a "returning customer". In our neck of the woods, it's considered insane to pay sticker price on anything. Haggling for a maximum discount is expected and part of the fun of buying a big ticket item. I love it!
Obviously absent is the discussion of names. We keep going back to one, but welcome any input from you. This is a huge decision, especially since this will probably be our last boat for a while. The 55 will be our 3rd Krogen since November, 2009. I keep saying good thing I held off on buying those 1000 boat cards and the 5000 personalized cocktail napkins I had my heart set on! The new boat will have mementos from her sisters: towels, pillows, canvas totes, cozy blankets, etc. After all, these were gifts from cherished friends and family, they were not about to be left behind!
The scroll work that characterized the 55's sisters will also be different. Tom has come up with some sketches that are a class act and befitting of the 55's imposing bow. Don't worry, you'll get to see the final artwork at some point in 2014. The folks in Stuart that do this sort of artwork are incredibly talented at taking an idea to the finished product. They also have the patience of Job. While For Us was being created for the transom, we actually apologized for being such nit picking PITAs. These folks thought nothing of the MANY emails and drawings that went back and forth, they just wanted us to be happy. Since many other Krogens use these wonderful people, we already know they are made of special "stuff".
Since we left those gorgeous red leather chairs and Persian rugs behind (how could we leave Serenity undressed?), that is another area we need to delve into. The truth is that the chairs might need to be a tad bigger and the rugs probably would have been the wrong size. Since they were so perfect on Serenity and the new owners loved everything, it was a no brainer to leave them with the boat. Lucky new owners in so many ways!
As promised, I'm posting updates, unexciting or otherwise. There's a bit of selfishness here, believe me. These ramblings of a Krogen-crazed boater will serve as a very nice history of the creation and birth of our new boat. Who knows, some magazine might be crazy enough to want to buy these notes! Crazier things have happened.
Hang in there til I'm back with who knows what's next!
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