31 may 2020
I did one job o n Paradox today, I flipped the hull.
For some months i'd felt a little anxious about how this could be managed, did I have enough children helpers, for example. I have no neighbours and no friends that I could ask over at short notice. I was also concerned whether the structure would stand up to the strange pressures brought on by such a contortion. All this concern, and yet all my life I have found that worry is wasted energy.
Nothing to do but do it. I had braced the bulkheads 2 and 3, 3 to 4, and made sure the bins and floor pieces were screwed tight also. The hull was still sitting on the basic frame, with sturdy cross pieces under the 3rd and 5th bulkheads, so I placed temporary rests beam on to these, an old car battery and daughter's tack box. Next I slid the hull sideways onto those, and laid old towels on the bed to protect from abrasion. By now, I had some idea that the weight at least was manageable, it was just wife and long and it was impossible to be at all places at once.
The next manoeuvre was to roll the hull on its side. Lifty pully, gently down... done. Phew. I walked around and checked there was space for the final flip and for pressures on the hull. It all looked good and strong.
The hull was moved so it would lay back with bulkheads over the bed crossmembers then simply lowering it down.
The entire operation was over on 5 minutes and done by one person. The hull suffered not a bit, and is now ready for fairing and planking
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