Insulation, insulation, insulation

Ok, it's not very sexy but it's something we all need to do more of. In a boat you're limited by the fact that insulation material can absolutely not absorb water - no fleeces or tumble dryer fluff for us (it's true there is someone making something eco out of tumble dryer fluff). So Calypso is now well and truly packed with 2 inches of thinsulate insulation - no doubt that will have real impact on condensation as well as warmth. Bring on winter sailing trips!

steady progress

Just over two months to get Calypso in the water and another month to get her ready for the Southampton Boat Show in September. It's quite a tall order and Jeremy is working flat out and Kit in all his spare time. Things are starting to take shape though - Roger Figgures, the local stainless steel craftsman delivered a beautiful fuel tank (see photo) and Jeremy and Kit are seen here lowering the new, super efficient fridge into place. We've also been thinking about how to create a slightly different, more open feel to the main saloon. Jeremy is a proper shipwright, top quality joinery throughout and no quick fixes allowed. What I am realising is that many of the modern, simple looks that I quite like are created by cutting corners, gluing things together instead of making it properly, and to last. There's only so much you can do on a 32 ft boat and we want to keep the features that make the Contessa so special, so the plan is to get rid of some of the built in cushioning which should give us the feel we want without comprimising on quality. I'm sure Jeremy must be secretly tearing his hair out as Fiona and I have various "brainwaves" which invariably mean more work for him but he doesn't show it, and so far we are all still talking!

The man from Delmonte.........

Finding products which have better environmental credentials yet match the performance of "conventional" products is not always easy. I knew it would be tricky to find a varnish which would come up to Jeremy's high standards - so it was with some trepidation I put a can of Le Tonkinois in front of him to try. This is a linseed based product, with no petroleum based solvents. From what I could see, it looked like a fantastic product, rather like an oil, it soaks into the wood, so there is no need to sand it right back for subsequent coats. It's made by a small French firm in the outskirts of Paris and the raving testimonials all sound too good to be true. But I'm not the one who has been varnishing for a lifetime, so I have been nipping out to check on the progress of the test piece that Jeremy has been varnishing, waiting for the verdict. It seems the answer is YES.

Radio Rogers

My father-in-law is a bit of legend in the sailing world. Not only is he an amazing craftsman and innovative boat builder (he bought the technology from Lotus to start vacuum moulding boats in the 70's), he is also an awesome helmsman. Back then, as well as building two Contessa 32s a week, he'd also build a racing boat every year for the prestigious Admiral's Cup Series and go off with his brother Jonathan and mates as crew, and invariably win! He was awarded Yachtsman of the Year in 1974 for diverting from a race in the One Ton Cup to respond to a flare - and rescuing a family whose boat had caught fire and sank. In more recent years, despite not racing regularly, and being in his 70s Jeremy doesn't seem to have lost his edge at all. In 2002, 2003 and 2006 he won the Round-The-Island Race in his Contessa 26, Rosina (an incredible achievement as anyone who knows about the race will understand), and most recently the Contessa 32 National Championships have been his two years running in Gigi. Jeremy is one of those people who doesn't say much, but when he does - people listen and yet he is genuinely the most modest person you could hope to meet and definitely media shy. So, it was with some surprise to learn that Jeremy had agreed to go with Kit to be interviewed live on BBC Radio Solent about Calypso last Sunday (scroll through 27 minutes to reach the interview). Believe me, this is newsworthy, kind of like the sailing equivalent of Kate Moss giving a live interview.... or something like that!