The design and construction aspect of the saloon settee is complete. We will return to it when the water tanks we have ordered from Atlas tanks arrive. They are installed under the settee, directly behind frame five. Part of the construction has been designed to be removable, to facilitate removal of the tanks in the future, if necessary.

We have been impressed by the sheer size of the thing. 3.2m x 1.8m in a U configuration; sizable even by house standards, enormous for a 12-meter boat. It will be the heart of our home: the place where we will spend most of our time.

Six hatches were cut to allow access to storage spaces behind the backrest. The outer two cutouts are to access the fill and breather connections on the water tanks. The seat panels are all removable. The recommended cushions are 75mm high-density foam. We are yet to decide if we will cover them with simple covers, or if time and finances allow more salubrious fitted upholstery.

The settee construction has pretty much absorbed all of Pete’s time over the past two weeks, as it has been detailed and fiddly work. Deb, in the meantime, has done the resin work, filleting, and double coating the internal spaces, where batteries, inverters and other electrical equipment will be fitted. In between, she has returned to sanding and cleaning up the hundreds of meters of filleting she has done in the various cabins, a seemingly never-ending job.

On other fronts, we have chosen and ordered fixtures and fittings for the galley, including the oven, which has arrived and is sitting in its designated spot, waiting for the enclosure to be built. That’s next weeks job.