Beep Beep Beep

With so much to do before moving, it was hard to keep up with all the doings...
Another task in the works is a new dodger... in Athena's soon to be new color, Mediterranean blue, as we slowly change things over.
I wasn't sure about the color from the swatch, but now that I see it in the makings, I'm really liking the new color.
The making of the dodger has involved quite the practice of patience though...
For months the friend of a friend has been working on the dodger...
And, although I don't like to be a pest, especially with friends of friends... it was getting down to the wire, and one can never tell what the weather will ever really be, until one is out on the water, and for those that aren't awares, the dodger can be a very important protective piece.
It also helps make my sailboat feel more like home.
Well, to get ready for the trip, the clasps ended up being done by none-other-than, myself. Which, I guess is perhaps how it should be anyways, since those working on the dodger had no intentions of making it up to Nokomis to actually fit the dodger... So, next piece of learning, I borrowed a very special expensive tool, see pic on top left, from Capt. John, to install the clasps, pic on right. Installation takes quite a few hands. thank you to Michelle for being extra hands!
and, Thank you Capt. John, for wicked awesome tool !
Although the final trim is not yet done, at least we had a dodger for the sail from Venice to Punta Gorda. And, unfortunately, it doesn't fit quite right, having been made using the pieces of the old dodger as a pattern, which I'm told doesn't usually work anyways, though one would think it would...
Note to self, hire someone local to sailboat next time canvas pieces are being made.
Anyways, it's close; thank you to Nick and Jeremy for their work on the dodger.