Back by popular demand

This may just have been our longest gap yet, but the flame burnt, albeit dimly...

I have just completed a contract that lasted 14 months: being currently between opportunities, I have a bit of time to revive the project. Joe is away in the UK sourcing leathers and pintles, or maybe dressing in leather and sinking pints, at least one of which is popular in Brighton. He'd better come back with the goods. However, I made a promise to myself that I would get this damn thing done this year (yes, the same promise I made for the last three years) and so I took the plunge.

The frustration of the last couple of years has been the knowledge that we are really, really close to completion. On Monday morning, I decided to roll up my sleeves and crack on, with a clear plan of attack, no distractions, no interruptions: I was going to get the seats in place.

I opened the workshop (garage), to find that Harry had claimed part of his inheritance - half the garage - and has spread all the bits of a Kawasaki around. Never mind, the company is good and sawdust is the best finish for engine parts.

A couple of hours passed after which I had found most of the tools I needed. A while later, I had made some elegant and entirely redundant braces to support the rudder yoke. These, when in place, didn't match, so I made some more, but much quicker since I had been through the steep learning curve on the first attempt.

The rudder, with pointless braces.

Cynics might suggest that this inability to stay on task is at the root of our problem. I would respond, but something bright and sparkly just flitted across my field of vision.