December 12

Hashimoto is fitting fiddles on a drawer unit in the starboard guest cabin.

Wada is putting another coat of varnish on one of the two deck tables. This is a job saved for rainy days or days when applying finish in Cynara’s interior can’t be done because of work being done there.

December 13

Hashimoto is making progress on the galley, with the frame for the microwave oven (below) ready to fit when the varnishing is finished.

In the captain’s cabin, Kawashima has finished with the hull lining, and is fitting wooden bungs to hide the screw holes.

Saito is doing touch-up varnish work on the prow.

December 16

Hashimoto has climbed into the hanging locker in the crew’s cabin to install the wooden trunking that will house the air conditioning pipe. A vent will be fitted in the locker top.

Kawashima has almost completed the chests of drawers in the aft cabins.

Each drawer needs a keep cut into the frame for the drawer lock.

Paul and Tatsumi are discussing the layout of the faucet handles in the crew quarter’s washroom. This small space will house a sink, a shower and a toilet, so every centimeter counts.

Fujita, one of the crew members, dropped by to help with the varnishing.

December 17

Sail Training

Weather: Cloudy

Wind conditions: West northwest 2-6 knots

Schedule: Preparation for sailing, Sail setting, Crew position training (8 crew), Sailing in low wind conditions with 7 sails, Tack training

December 1

Tatsumi is finishing up the linen cupboard in one of the aft guest cabins.

Hashimoto is  checking an angle with a bevel gauge while making the frames for the galley cabinets.

Kawashima is making the cabinet for the captain’s cabin, after the condition of the original was deemed to be beyond restoration, using the old one (below) as a reference. While the furniture in the crew and captain’s cabins follow the same Camper and Nicholsons’ style as the owner and guest areas, they are less ornate, and were made of less expensive mahogany. We are using a combination of mahogany from the Philippines and Africa.

December 2, 2020

Sail Training

Weather: Cloudy and a little rain

Wind: North northeast, 16-25 knots

Mr. Noboru Watanabe, Chairman and CEO of Riviera, at the helm of Cynara during the sail training, and with the crew (below).

December 5

Hashimoto is now working on the drawers for the galley. The dovetail joints below is an example of his joinery work.

(Above and below) Paul is installing Corian splash backs on the sink unit tops. Corian is a non-porous material often used for countertops, and while it is not a traditional material, it does match the shower interiors with its marble-patterned appearance.

December 8

Tatsumi is making doors for the various cabinets. There are many doors of various sizes that have to be made now that all the cabinets are in.

Kawashima is working in the captain’s cabin. As in the owner and guest areas, the cabin has wooden trunking around the deck head that boxes in the beam ends and allows cable runs. He also has to make a box (below) to hide the motor of the electric winch situated directly above the cabin.

December 11

Sail Training

Weather: Cloudy

Wind: East Northeast 3-8 knots

Waves: 0-0.2m

Schedule: Fit the new main-topsail

November 16 to 23

Kawashima is setting out the hull lining in the captain’s cabin. Before its final fitting, the cables and ducts have to be finished before the hull lining closes them off.

Wada and other painting team members are varnishing the inside of the galley cabinets.

​​Hashimoto made the wall panels for the galley, which now has the sink dry fitted. The final fit will be done after the plumbing is all in.

​Wada is preparing to varnish the deckhouse.

Hashimoto did a dry fit of the wall panels in the galley.

November 24 to 30

Paul is instructing Wada on the varnishing process for the deck table.

Wada and Usui varnished the deck table under Paul’s instruction. The finish was done by brush, not spray.

November 26 Sail Training

Sail Training

Weather: Cloudy

Wind: North Northwest 6-10 knots

Waves: .2 to .5 meters

Pascal is squeezing himself into the bilge to connect the toilet and shower next to the crew’s quarters.

​ Tatsumi is installing the hanging locker door in the starboard aft cabin.

This is the original key box that was in the crew’s cabin before restoration.

​Kawashima is preparing to install the cable for the light switch in the captain’s cabin. The cable is concealed behind the mahogany columns of the door frame.

​ Hashimoto is adding cabinet dividers in the galley.

Tatsumi is installing the opaque glass windows in the deck house.

November 8 to 15

​Kawashima is fitting the desk and drawers in the Captain’s cabin.

Tatsumi is making the cabinet  above the crew’s washbasin.

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​Hashimoto is making a duct for the air conditioning in the floor of the galley.

​Kawashima, Hashimoto, and Tatsumi began installing the locks in the drawers.

One of the finished drawers with the escutcheon and lock installed. The handles are original and have been restored with fresh nickel plating.

November 12

Sail Training

Weather: Cloudy

Wind: North, 8 to 18 knots

Sailing speed: 8 knots

November 3 to November 7

Paul and Hirai are discussing the shower ventilation for the showers in the owner’s and guest cabins. We’ve made special ventilation panels, but a box needs to be built to attach the fan ducting to the panels.

Hashimoto is making panels for the top of the cabinets in the galley. They will fit the space between the deck beams.

Back in the crew’s shower room, Tatsumi is putting in the molded cedar boars that will seal and cover the hull planking.

The shellac on the hanging locker in the crew cabin is being cleaned back for a fresh coat after electric cables scratched it during the electrical installation connecting them to the panel at the back.

The bars of naval brass have just been delivered. They’ll go over the glass on the skylights and need to be fitted and polished to a final finish.

Tatsumi is getting started on the washstand in the crew’s quarters.

Koiwai is varnishing one of the pattresses made by Paul that go behind the wall light fixtures (below).

In the tent, finished drawers are everywhere, awaiting the completion of interior work before they are installed, to prevent any damage from scratches, etc. All have been matched with their correct keys. It’s hard to imagine the number of places that these will go.