There is something grimly appropriate about the fact that many gannets are dying, apparently of avian 'flu, and being washed up on our Irish shores,- it being hard not to get depressed about the state of things these days. Yet it was all the more heartening to see a few gannets flying strongly past Loop Head on my Sunday walk yesterday. What's more, though the Gannetsway project of restoring the Anna M has sometimes looked shakey lately, we are still forging ahead.
Last time I was in Nazare, a couple of weeks ago, I actually moved aboard; the saloon is quite liveable in now. We also made a start at glassing the hull. The weather was turning rainy, I got a drop of resin in my eye, and most seriously money issues had to be addressed, so it was only a start; I just wanted to get an idea of what exactly is involved. It was successful enough, but it was evident I needed more help as well as materials.
So anyway, I hope to be back on the job in a week or two, and a big push will be under way to get the hull finished before the winter comes. Then we shall be trying to have the Anna M back in the water for next year, and hopefully the big experiment with an electric drive. Plenty of trouble ahead, but if we can overcome adversity in our own little ways, perhaps we can hope that all those people suffering so much more than ourselves will somehow do the same!
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| Looking forward |
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| Looking aft |
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| 1st & 2nd skin |
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| Just Holding On |
