Journal

Notes, side roads and pieces that do not fit neatly anywhere else.

Foam In, Hulls Slowly Closing

I’ve been back at work on Ikaroa since mid-July, getting the foam in and slowly closing up the hulls. I’ll keep sharing photos and short updates here, with the longer posts moving to Substack and Patreon.

The Eighth Candle of Chanukah

I marked the eighth night of Chanukah.

The Seventh Candle of Chanukah

I’m marking the seventh candle of Chanukah. 🕎

More Behind the Scenes for Supporters

I’m opening up more behind-the-scenes access for Buy Me a Coffee supporters, including Discord servers, project plans and my own bloopers. I may even revive the dormant YouTube account once the ship is ready.

I’ve Opened the Sea Nation Shop

I’ve set up a shop for the lithium batteries, solar panels, kits and charge controllers I’m using or recommending. For now, I can only serve customers in the UK because of transport restrictions.

Epoxying the First Wave of Stringers

I’m working through the first wave of epoxying, joining the stringers to the major bulkheads, stem, stern and partition at 30 contact points. I’m also getting ready to launch our electrical shop and wondering what would make a good prize.

Help Me Get Ikaroa Out

I’m building an all-electric catamaran with off-the-shelf equipment and trying to get Ikaroa out of the workshop before winter. Membership helps us reach that goal, with behind-the-scenes posts, Discord access and equipment discounts.

Refuelling with Dreams and Caffeine

I’m refuelling now, powered by dreams and caffeine—as usual.

My Kind of Fruit Salad

I found IKEA’s idea of fruit salad rather more appealing than the usual sort. 🤣

A Day at the Computer Company

I had a day in the offices of a computer company. Stack Overflow was down, so apparently nobody could get back to work.

Closing the Floor Level This Week

I had a good day preparing the small things needed to close the floor level this week. The Patreon video is now public, and support is welcome as I work towards moving out of the workshop by autumn.

A Week of Work in Time-Lapse

I skipped recording the podcast and put together a time-lapse video from this week’s work instead. It’s on Patreon now and will be publicly available from Sunday.

Our App Is in the Press

After working on it over the winter, our app has made it into the press. The National covered it as an AI-powered tourist guide.

Back to Working for Myself

I’ve officially finished working for others and am starting to work for myself again. The boat work is still a couple of days away, but regular updates are resuming now.

Remembering the Righteous with a Yellow Candle

I lit a yellow candle for Yom HaShoah, remembering the victims and holding fast to “never again.”

Our Sister Site Is Getting Ready

I’m getting our sister site, courses and extra content ready. 😊

A New Season in the Office

I’m making some changes in the office for a new season. There are still things to sort out before I get back to the workshop, but in the meantime I’m hitting record.

The Value of Being Scared

I’ve been scared of this project from the beginning, not just now. Big dreams usually require doing frightening things repeatedly—and waiting longer than a month to see the results.

Wishing You All a Happy New Year

We’re joining our little company in wishing you all a very happy New Year!

Our Approach to Customers and Prices

I’m making a small comparison between our approach to customers and a design price list where doing more yourself costs less.

Getting Advice Before My Launch

I’m getting an early copy of Amy Porterfield’s book just when I need advice from someone who has walked this path before. I’m launching new things out to the public soon, so the timing is rather good.

Reading Two Weeks Notice

I’m reading something new: Amy Porterfield’s *Two Weeks Notice*.

Learning the Boat’s Electrical Setup

I’m in learning mode for now, with the Electrifying Academy launch coming soon. After that, we’ll start talking about our internal setup on the boat.

Learning How to Teach Others

I’m learning from Amy Porterfield how to teach others. Thanks for the lessons.

Wishing You a Sweet Year Ahead

In the kitchen, apples and something sweet are being prepared. שנה טובה — wishing you a good and sweet year ahead!

Our Centre for Controlling the Universe

Our office is taking shape, although one desk is still missing. This is where the magic happens, powered by dreams and a huge amount of caffeine.

The Desks Arrived, Slightly Too Big

Our desks arrived for the office, and they turned out to be slightly bigger than expected. Time to find them a home.

Refocusing on the Other Half

With my wrists and boat work temporarily sidelined, I’m getting back into programming while we set up our office and build new software to help pay the bills.

Hot Coffee, Never Decaf

I invite workshop visitors for coffee, but on hot days I briefly considered iced coffee. I still drink mine hot; cold coffee is only slightly less dangerous than decaf.

Working Around the Heat

The heat has forced us into early-morning and late-afternoon work sessions. Even in southeast England, apparently, the sun has been turned up too far.

Getting Ready to Laminate the Lower Hulls

We’re preparing to laminate the lower hulls, with an exciting day—and several more—of work ahead. I’m also planning regular build videos, with early access and other extras available through Patreon.

Still Here, Still Going Strong

We’ve had a couple of setbacks and slowdowns, but we’re still around and coming back for more. Usual project commentary resumes next week.

Going Virtually to Oceanology International

We are going virtually to Oceanology International 2022 in March. Join me online from 15–17 March.

Happy Holidays from All of Us

We wish you happy holidays from all of us here at The Sea Nation.

A Farewell to James Wharram

James deeply influenced my life as a sailor and designer. I send my deepest condolences to Hanneke, with sadness that we will never show him the Tiki he helped us realise.

Back to School, Powered by Caffeine

I went back to school with a simple message: caffeine is good, decaf is evil.

Home Office, Boat Finance, Workshop Every Day

Adam starts at 6:30; I start a little later before heading to the workshop. That’s how we finance the boat every day except Shabbat.

Our New Sea Nation T-Shirt

I’ve got a new Sea Nation t-shirt, and Adam is modelling it. Well, “modelling” may be generous—he just washes up.

Our Early Sea Nation Merchandise Arrives

Our first Sea Nation merchandise arrived: t-shirts and stickers to send to the competition winners, plus fleece jackets and more for anyone interested.

We Just Connected Our Instagram Account

We’ve connected an Instagram account, so you can find us at @theseantionorg.

Supporting Kuba’s Next Project

I’m supporting Kuba as he heads home to finish his own project after six months helping us build our self-sufficient catamaran. If you support him, you may even get a workshop on designing and automating an off-grid home.

Our Newsletter Is Nearly Ready

I’m getting a newsletter started for more news from our tent. Subscribe if you’d like to follow along.

Help Us Shape the New Newsletter

We’re asking a few questions about what brings tens of thousands of people to our posts. Fill in the survey and help decide what we share in our new weekly newsletter.

Helpful Tips From the Local Laundry

I found some helpful laundry advice at our local laundry: sort tomorrow, wash the day after, fold next week, and iron when it gets real.

The Shipyard or Corona Question

I was faced with the important question: Shipyard or Corona?

A Bigger Space, Closer to the Sea

We’ve moved into a bigger space, much closer to the sea—in fact, it’s just outside.

More Sea Nation Details Are Coming Soon

I’m getting the websites and YouTube updates ready while lockdown keeps us busy. Subscribe now and keep an eye on these addresses for the full story.

Nimrod, Our Little Lockdown Beauty

Locked away from our boats, I bought Nimrod, a 24ft Falmouth Gypsy, to play with before building the proper one. This post also marks the official premiere of TheSeaNation video channels.