Today Steve and I finished up jacking up the structure one last time to make sure the trailer can fit. Although I think we will end up bringing it up more soon because I think we should have more clearance than just an inch or two....But, Steve is basing it on measurements and where other boats are currently sitting.
Today we will be able to get a rough estimate of the overall weight of the structure now that everything is in place. We built up two cribs on the right side (starboard) of the structure to raise about an inch or two, then move them to the left side (port) to raise another 3-4 inches to keep it level. Steve has been working with this stuff for so long, that he can tell how many tons he's lifting by how much effort he puts into pumping the jacks.
I built up the cribs myself this time actually enjoying the process of leveling off each dimension.
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| building the cribs to support the 50 ton jacks |
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| leveling it out |
When we were ready to jack it up I actually had to use my entire body and push my legs against the bottom of the structure in order to get any movement out of the arm on the jack. As Steve cranked on his side at the same time he yelled out he was estimating about 10-11 thousand pounds of weight. YEAH...my estimates for a regular 8x20 tiny home on wheels was about 8,000 pounds and with mine being two feet wider with a deck and the barrel structure support systems below I had hoped around 10k lbs.
My floatation calculations for half buoyancy (meaning that the water level on the structure would be only halfway up the barrels giving me plenty of margin for miscalculations and additional weight due to celebratory parties! ;-) ) was 250 lbs per barrel (and that is in the dense salt water conditions where here we will have brackish waters so it won't be nearly as dense as pure sea water since we will have a mix of fresh river water.).
I have 42 barrels in total.
So 42 barrels at 250 lbs of buoyancy = 10,500 lbs! If I am at 11,000 lbs then I should be very close to that halfway point on the barrels when they put me in the water! YEAH....that was the goal!
The marina is no longer concerned with my ability to float (thank goodness)...only my ability to maintain uprightness due to having the loft and higher ceilings.
I paid my dock fee at $2750 for the season...not the advertised $99 per foot, which for me, is $374 more because they need a few boats to get me to the slip and "all hands" on deck because they are doing something no one has ever done before....we are all adventurers now! lol
I can't get a solid commitment out of the marina management for a launch date because they are still working on other boats and clearing space. I'm crossing my fingers for sometime before next Friday, but for sure before the end of May. If I can swing it I will probably try to do a live launch! If interested I suggest joining my FB group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyFloatingHome/
back to "balance"
As I was leveling off the cribs I was thinking about being level or "balanced" and still can't quite wrap my head around how humans interpret their own sense of balance in such a seemingly "unbalanced" or unconnected way.
It seems in most peoples definition of balance, I hear so much about external balances...."I need to relax as much as I work" (clearly a balance our society will never achieve) or "I need to work-out more so I can balance my sitting time at work" (again working out on an even level as sitting at work is impossible without reducing the hours sitting and working). Is balance really about this iconic image:
putting something in one side means also adding to the other side. So, what are those two sides? What do we put in each? Is one side physical and one side mental? But really, don't we as humans in this existence have more than just two sides? But what about emotional/soulful/spiritual? And we could break it down further with social and financial too.
Now where "balance" occurs is when the wheel is full in each slice and can successfully and smoothly ride along in the journey. I like this idea better because you can indeed move forward with a flat tire, but it will be slower and could cause more problems than if you just stopped to take the time to fix it. I also like that it is more faceted than the "balance" diagram of old.
In the Japanese culture, it is simplified to a state of IKIGAI
BALANCE, to me, needs to consider all these other aspects of life...and be defined according to our deepest sense of truth within US....NOT external to us....not due to pressure from others and how they think we should be living or "balancing" these areas of our life. ONLY WE know our true internal state...and even if we aren't totally aware of what it is we really want or how to find that balance...we always know what it is we DON'T want and how that affects us.
Cleaning out what no longer serves
I drift away from the thoughts of balance as I clean up the underside of the structure.
I am satisfied in a way not many others would relate to as I see the obstructions that once helped further this project along finally take their leave....now they no longer serve and would only impede the progress for the next phase. Kind of like in our everyday lives...how often did something come into our lives that was hugely beneficial at one time, and then suddenly it is no longer needed, no longer beneficial to keep it around. There is often a bitter-sweet moment that we face when letting those things go. Hard to let go sometimes, easy to let go other times.
As I easily let go of that thought, I move on to assist (mostly watch and learn) Steve trim my deck boards as only a professional will do! Sets the blade at 1 inch uses a straight edge to mark the line and then follows that line expertly.
So, nice to see things being cleaned up.
I also finally removed the plywood from covering the broken door now that Steve has it all fixed and replaced! Yeah, that beautiful inspiring view that got me through so many rough moments as I finished out the inside is back!
It's as if the glass was never broken as if the fire never was...it's a great thing to fix, to heal, to move on from the ashes. And today, I am so grateful and feeling so satisfied....
now, off to work on other areas of my wheel NOT so I can find "balance"....but simply work on the smoothness of my ride for the next little while.
