Rikki-tikki-tavi... Life on the River

Installing Stanchions

We didn’t have time to install the stanchions and lifelines at the launch as there were many patient people waiting for Rikki-tikki-tavi to get wet. So here I am doing it one morning before the sun makes it unbearably hot on deck. The stanchions had all been fitted in the barn before the launch (and redone a couple of times as the supplier had a bit of trouble cutting the wire the correct length) and stowed in the ama.

We have three cables going through four 30-inch tall by 1-inch diameter stanchions along each ama. A custom base support piece was fabricated (by me) so each pole is at the correct angle, which is canted slightly inboard. We have a gate with pelican hooks both port and starboard right about where I am positioned in this photo.




		Installing Stanchions We didn’t have time to install the stanchions and lifelines at the launch as there were many patient people waiting for Rikki-tikki-tavi to get wet. So here I am doing it one morning before the sun makes it unbearably hot on deck. The stanchions had all been fitted in the barn before the launch (and redone a couple of times as the supplier had a bit of trouble cutting the wire the correct length) and stowed in the ama. We have three cables going through four 30-inch tall by 1-inch diameter stanchions along each ama. A custom base support piece was fabricated (by me) so each pole is at the correct angle, which is canted slightly inboard. We have a gate with pelican hooks both port and starboard right about where I am positioned in this photo.

	Dessert in the Galley It was amazing to us that, once we got Rikki-tikki-tavi in the water, we spent very few nights sleeping in our house! We immediately felt more comfortable in the boat, on the water and slept there nearly every night until we sold our home in June and moved out in August. We were so ready for the change that we welcomed it without question or qualm. After a hard day getting the house ready to sell or packing, we would drive to the river and retire on the water aboard Rikki-tikki for a nice dinner and yummy dessert before enjoying a quiet night in our very comfortable double berth in the master’s stateroom. It was as it should have been.
Finally! On the Move...