finally some installation of hardware!

Installing strapping around the pontoon boxes we made to ensure no torquing or movement.

the rods to ensure no splaying out when the barrels are under constant upward pressure.

buying barrels

Today we managed to buy the remaining needed barrels to finish the floatation needs.
42 total will be used with the new/old design...my calculations at approx 200 lbs per barrel at half buoyancy will be 8,400 lbs ---the weight of a typical 8x20 tiny home. That is a gross under exaggeration, so I will have leeway of almost 18,000 lbs if I am floating at the top of the barrels...which I KNOW will be plenty buffer to keep it afloat!

more hair raising

Seriously, I had no idea it would take so long to keep raising and stabilizing and straightening out this thing....I just want to build already...feeling soooooo long over due. I don't want to have to work throughout another cold winter this year. My frustration only grows because I am anxious to be done, have lost enjoyment of the process....need to regroup.

stocking up on crib stock

Today I helped to unload the trailer so we could fill it up with crib stock to stabilize the structure.

dumping the old to make room for the new.

Kinda appropriate for the situation....LOL!

Loading it

that's a ton of crib...well, just under a ton....

using the crib to raise and straighten out the structure

pumped it up quite high off the ground, yet just enough room for
building the housing for the barrels and the height of the truck to come underneath it.

cramped work space

50 ton jack will do the job!

cutting the rods to size

prepping the site and fixing the door

It is such a blessing in disguise to have had the fire (remember that 20/20 hindsight vision?)!

Having the opportunity to work with a Wentworth graduate with 40+ years of experience in the trade is a true silver lining to this cloud!

His plans for finishing out the barrel installation is as tight as the seal on my 55 gal drums! I'm learning so much already and not just regarding the floatation frame, but also on the little unfinished things inside the house.

thrilling to see barrels in place, even if only for a temporary guide!

measuring out lift points for extra stability underneath when the truck moves it

stainless steel rods will be used with nuts and washers to stabilize the pontoon walls.

marking off location for the rods

being a good little apprentice!

relieving pressure on the door so it slides smoothly...
i never would have known to do this!

cleaning up the mess

Having someone help me out and reduce the burden of sole responsibility has given me a much needed second wind. I took over where my friend Nanette left off and swept and organized so I can begin to plug away at the inside work again.

It's quite humbling to see how little damage there really was and how big a deal it felt when it happened. Kind of like everything I guess...that 20/20 hindsight is so valuable.

Leveling up!

The next few work sessions will be all about getting the place level and secured so we can finish the floatation.

It will take a few days just to raise it to the right height and make sure we have a square and plumb surface to work on for this next phase. Now is the time to help correct all the novice mistakes I have made up to this point.

Steve is very good about safety as well, so we will build up crib stock to create stable supports underneath which will help it withstand wind as well as movement from walking on the structure.

using beams to support across the pontoons I created

a jack to do the heavy lifting

Also need to measure the trailer that will move the structure to make sure the lift pad will hit the appropriate places....namely where the studs are holding up the roof.

making lemonade out of lemons

This big machine piece was in the way, so we utilized it to help straighten out the deck!

Fresh air with helping hired hands

Today was a staging day to get things ready to start the build! Feels good to be back in the swing of things! Cold day but beautiful clear skies! 

Went to Home Depot with Steve the carpenter and picked up the lumber then staged it at the boatyard to prepare...if all goes well, next time around we will will be under the house creating a much needed support system!

I also finally got the kitchen window back from the shop and installed that...at least this side of the house is back to normal now! 

Wanted to say thanks too to the considerate guys at the boat yard who donated the sliding glass doors in the picture...they didn't fit my Anderson French wood 400 series sliding door set up...but man it was super thoughtful !