Still plodding on in the forecabin, but it's taking shape.  I'm going down to Nelson next week, so that will put the kibosh on my boatbuilding.  However, it will be a great break!

You can find the latest pics on  my blog.

Annie Hill wrote:

My favoured cool/cold weather deck boots are these sheepskin ones:

I bought them last century in South Africa, and they have proved their worth in Greenland, Fiordland, Newfoundland and winters in Northland. Without socks. I have had them re-soled but apart from that they soldier on in spite of so much wear, never even requiring any stitching replaced. They are still made and I would love to buy myself a new pair to see me out, especially as they now go down to size 3 (for the past 18 years I've been clumping around in size 4!), but I can't get the order page on the website to bring up 'New Zealand'.  I can highly recommend them, to anyone who can get the order form to work.  They are much tougher than Ugg boots and have reinforcement at the heel - it's this that keeps them going.  A spray of waterproofing every now and then makes them real seaboots.

Edit: writing this reminded me to try contacting the makers again, and this time I got a response! An early Christmas present for Annie appears to be indicated!

I learned that a junkrig was sailed in slippers (Jester) or in socks (Mingming).

Did I miss something ?

Eric

Ah New Zealand, where it's summer all the time. Sailing on the Scottish coast in May, I was glad to be wearing my alaskan sneakers when under way.

And as for seaboots ...

They live at the foot of the companionway steps, ready to put on when your presence is needed on deck in the wee small hours, if it's raining/the spray is flying/there's a heavy dew.

Don't they?

Good work, and a good blog entry - save for the gross injustice that you do to those of us who also keep our shoes in the awkwardly shaped triangular space at the bottom of the clothes locker!