It has been a challenging search, but we have found a rental property that with a bit of creativity, will be suitable for living in and boat building. (In case you have just started reading here – we have been forced to quickly find new premises.) Having a large boat and two dogs drastically limited the choices available. Factoring in our very tight budget, our desire to be within 50km of the kids’ school and on one of the school bus routes, makes us feel quite lucky to have found a place so soon.
Of course, there are many compromises. We will return to building under a tarp, with limited storage space for all the boat materials. On the positive side, it is a lovely secluded property with large sections of natural bush still intact. The owner seemed pleased to have us as tenants, and even organised (at his expense) clearing of about fifteen trees to widen the driveway. This will allow an articulated truck, loaded with the boat, to squeeze through.
The house has only one bedroom and there is an old caravan on-site which we are purchasing to accommodate one of the kids. However with two teenagers of opposite genders, we need another bedroom. About a year ago I designed a basic “cube” home (I have a fascination with tiny houses) which incorporates many boat building techniques acquired during this project. We have started building this design to provide a bedroom for our other child. Along with packing, Christmas preparations and trying to obtain quotes for transporting the boat, it is a focus of our attention at the moment. We will move house on Christmas Eve, with a view to moving the boat as early after that as possible.
Here are some photos of the tiny house progress:
Scout overseeing the joining of plywood panels with 100mm double bias e-glass tape to form the floor. The external dimensions are 3000mm x 2400mm x 2400mm. The internal dimensions are not much smaller, reduced only by the thickness of the plywood (15mm in the walls and ceiling, and 17mm in the floor).
This is the underside of the floor, with 100mm x 100mm x 3000mm treated pine beams (sold as fencing posts in Bunnings) in position for taping.
A small fillet of glue was created before using 140mm weft triaxial e-glass tape to fasten the pine beams to the underside of the floor.
Prior to turning, the floor was painted with three coats of one step primer/sealer/undercoat.
To create a rounded edge for external taping, Tom routed the four underside edges of the floor with a round-over bit. The wall panels will sit on top and within these edges (rather than butt against them).
Four walls up and joined internally with 100mm double bias e-glass tape.
Central support for the double-bed sized bedbase, which will be elevated 900mm from the floor.
Tom routing a round-over edge on the wall corners, in preparation for external taping.
The Scrumble Project 