Final Yard Period – Painting and Completion

Fram was launched in a hurry, under pressure and with very little margin. Partly because the build took longer than planned (as usual), and partly because the building where I was constructing the boat was sold. The boat had to leave and I had no desire to find a new location to continue the project. So she had to be able to sail—and she went into the water as an almost bare hull: with unfinished carbon beams, an inadequate paint system of only two coats, and floats in the wrong colour. At the time they were painted white simply because I had not yet decided on the final colour scheme.

Fram’s berth is at home, directly behind our garden. The plan was to take her into a shed the following summer for a few months, to finish the remaining exterior work in proper conditions—summer is simply better for painting, and many sheds are less busy then. In reality it was postponed again and again. When the timing finally seemed right, COVID arrived. And during that same period I did a lot of sailing—which, admittedly, is far more enjoyable than building.

While searching for a suitable shed, several nearby yards declined. A trimaran was “too complicated”, or they lacked suitable stands. In other words: excuses to avoid a job that did not fit their standard routine. On the fourth attempt I found space at Modus Marine. They were a pleasure to work with: practical, flexible, and genuinely supportive. The atmosphere reminded me of the company where I used to work—back when it still felt like a family business.

The yard is located behind a lock. Fram can only pass through it with one float folded. But it is still close enough to reach by bicycle from home—so it worked.