HOLIDAY SIDING

A few photos from Dan this week showing the roof complete and the first of the pickled siding going up.  Also got the insurance adjuster over there to appraise the place in terms that a carrier can understand.  A step needed before we could get a quote on a policy.

Looking up from the west side.  The plastic green containers are the aerobic septic system.  You can also see where water from the gutters drains into the cistern under the porch.

The south wall is all sided and trimmed out for the three large doors that will open out to the porch.

Just starting siding on the east side.  Temporary 2nd floor gutter drains run into the first floor gutters to make sure we're getting whatever rain falls until more permanent (and discrete) drains can be installed that will feed directly into the cistern.

North side perspective.  Roofing and gutters finished.  Siding to come.

Samples of 316 stainless steel hinges for all doors and shutters.  Went with the larger 2.5 " version.  Might have been cheaper just to buy windows.

SITE VISIT- the SEQUEL

Just beating the storm on arrival.  Good rains this fall have brought everything back to lush and green... a condition that was hard to envision in April and July when everything was torched and tinder dry.

It's tough for a sequel to measure up to the original but given the challenges of Lovango living a little experience under your belt makes things alot better.  We're still getting to know the crew and neighbors and also figuring out details like boat storage, best crossing routes/times, dinghy securing/locking/capacity/capabilities/draft/etc, marketing, cabs, timing, trash, and more.   Which is to say it was great to get back and continue to discover things and feel more at home.

Progress has been slow since our last visit in July with vacations and hurricanes and competing work for the crew but things are picking up again and the quality of what's been done is outstanding.  Over our 5 day visit the crew made great headway on installing the roof and gutters while we knocked out the "pickling" of all of the siding.  The work gave us a deep appreciation for the crew and the challenges they face in building our cottage on Lovango.  We calculate that every piece of siding we painted has now been touched and moved at least 6 (likely 7) times!

The installation of the roof and gutter has allowed us to start collecting rainwater.  Though it doesn't look like much the 6" of water in our 9' deep cistern represents over 1000 gallons.   With reasonable shelter and a water source in place we are close to having something that could conceivably be inhabitable (if not finished) in the not too distant future.

Oh, and big news- we finally have a building permit for plans that match what we're actually constructing.  This picked up from the permit office conveniently located upstairs in the airport.

View from the porch under which sits the 24,000 gallon cistern with (now) 1,000 gallons of rainwater.

Dinghy to St John, then hike to hardware store for paint... and back.

The first of 3 days of pickling the siding.  Cut the latex paint 1:1 with water, apply it, wait 5 minutes and wipe it to expose the grain.  Color is a light blue gray.

Gloating over the finished stack of painted siding.

The crew- Dustin (from NH) and crew foreman Martin (from MI).

Up on the roof- Rigo and Marino (who brought passion fruit seeds from home and planted them around the site).

Jeff's first USVI tool purchase (though not a measuring type by nature).

Eeyore and Olive Oyl take a break from tending the burn pile.  Olive is forever memorialized in the cottage by her paw prints in the downstairs bedroom concrete floor.

How we left it... downstairs roofed and guttered, upstairs next.

BUTTONED UP & AWAITING ROOFING

Dan and his crew have been installing solar systems on St. John while awaiting the aluminum roofing from Florida.  The cottage has taken on its final shape and is sealed from the elements.  The 5/12 ptiched, hipped roof is a standard in the Caribbean for it's strength in high winds.  Given the cost of insurance, many homes in USVI are not insured for hurricane damage.   

In addition to installing roof and gutters (which will begin the water catchment), next focus includes getting solar power and and a toilet installed so camping and building (power tools without using Dan's generator) will be possible.

View from the dock.  The building is closed up with plywood (even over window and door openings) and roof has water-proof membrane.  Officially a shelter.

Aluminum roofing has made it to the beach.   Gutters still at large on St. John.

DANNY PASSES, ERIKA LOOMS

Danny passed with little wind but some welcome rain.  It barely cleared the Virgin Islands before tropical storm Erika formed and started gaining steam.  Erika dumped 8" of rain in Dominica in just 5 hours (per text from Dan)... a deluge that would put exceptional strain on the excavating that we've done and drainage around the foundation.  Sadly, the roof and gutters won't arrive for 2 weeks so any hope of filling the cistern with Erika's bounty is fruitless.  The rain will still be a blessing for everyone and everything else in the drought-stricken area, however.  May green return to Lovango.

Tracking these storms is like watching a horse race.  No control from the grandstand and bet already made. Addictive.

ROOF COMING... ALONG WITH HURRICANE DANNY

Dan returns to Lovango this weekend from 4 weeks away, just ahead of hurricane Danny.  There was good progress on the roof in his absence.  Forecast is for Danny to arrive Monday evening with winds around to 50-60 mph.  Conventional wisdom holds that open buildings (like ours is now) are less prone to damage, particularly from lift which can be catastrophic.  Standing by and hoping Danny at least brings some much needed rain.

Current predictions of hurricane Danny show a likely direct hit of a weakening storm.

Detail of rafter tails.  And, in the background, a good look at how dry things are.  Not much foliage.

Detail of interior of roof.  The first layer of the roof is pressure treated 1 x 6 v groove which leaves a nice look on the inside.    3/4" pt plywood is laid over that, followed by a waterproof membrane and then aluminum roofing (musket slate color to try to blend in with surroundings).  Note also the hurricane ties and straps.  Virtually every connection point is reinforced.

The upstairs roof is almost complete.  Still open on ridge-line while we await special brackets to tie in the hip rafters.  The blue material is a waterproof membrane.  The aluminum roofing has been ordered from FL and will be applied over this.

SITE VISIT

Kath and I spent 4 days on Lovango catching up with progress and setting course for the next steps.  Great hospitality from Dan, Heidi, and the crew (Martin, Jeff, Rigo, Marino, and Dustin); and generosity from neighbors Cory and Billie who let us stay at their "Love Shack" and Captain Phil who gave a a great tour of his beautiful home.  Lovango was very warm to us in both literal and figurative terms.

Dan took off Tuesday for a 3-4 week vacation stateside.  Crew will continue with rafters and roofing in his absence.

Pano from upstairs forward bedroom.

The new ride parked at the Lovango dock.  Walker Bay Generation 450 with 70 hp Yamaha.  Handled all seas with no problem.  Great dry storage, too.  Now registered and stocked with anchor, lines, PFD's, whistle and two sets of snorkel gear.  Still need a cable and lock as dinghies apparently have a tenency to disappear and wind up sold in BVI.

Evening cocktails (first ever) on the porch.

The obligatory shot of Lovango welcoming committee:  Olive Oyl and Eeyore.

Returning from first morning of work- paint-covered and waterproof (after helping to seal the cistern).  

View from above:  upstairs bedroom (3) and bathroom over downstairs (living/dining/kitchen/bath/bedroom and porch)... over cistern.  Island is VERY dry.

Heidi and Kath confer.

Where Olive Oyl walked through downstairs... before concrete had set.

Dan saying goodbye to Mabel before heading out on vacation.

Last look at Lovango from the dinghy on the way to the airport.  Capt Phil's place upper right, Love Shack on beach and job site behind that.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Second floor is ready for decking.

Dan goes on a month-long vacation beginning July 21 and is pushing to get everything framed up and sheathed by then (tall order).  Kath and I will be visiting July 18-22 to admire progress and re-connect on things.  Thanks to neighbor, Corey, we will be staying at his Love Shack, just below us.  This will also be the first shake-down cruise of the yet to be named 15' inflatable that will serve as transportation on and off the island.  As of July 3 the deck for the second floor has been completed and the crew will be working over the 4th of July laying the plywood decking.

View from above- 2nd floor starting to take shape.

Site mascots Eeyore (Basset Hound) and Olive Oyl (Great Dane) appreciate the shade of the newly arrived stair landing.

LET THE FRAMING BEGIN

Good progress with framing the first floor.  All seems well.  Pictures tell the story.

Dan's portable solar generator is powering the job site.

Laying out the front (south) wall over the cistern/porch.

First framed wall goes up- east side.

First floor framed.  Hurricane ties in place to secure second floor.

South wall framed.

Header bolted in place on back wall to catch 2nd floor joists.

Kitchen area.

Hurricane ties under sill plate, connecting every stud.

READY TO COME OUT OF THE DIRT

Every piece of lumber gets touched three times between the beach and the site.  Once off-loading it from the rack, a second time loading it into Dan's dump truck, and a third time off-loading it at the site.  Never mind the challenges of scheduling a barge and landing it on Lovango in the first place- even something as basic as getting materials 150' from the beach to the site is made incredibly tiresome and labor-intense by the remote island setting.  

Which is why it's so exhilarating to have the foundation stripped and back-filled and all the lumber up at the site.  Heidi just got final prints to Dan and the structure should start coming off the page in a hurry.  The fun part.

Dan's dump truck with a load from the beach.

Sill plates stacked and ready to be placed.

The originally cut drive to the right and newly cut drive down to cottage on left.  Great access.  For the record- while the cottage is 150' from beach, the drive is about probably .2 miles down the beach and then  switchback and another .2 miles up the hill.

Back doorway out of upstairs bedroom to (future) outdoor shower.

West wall and site of master bedroom outdoor shower.

Trying to create some terracing between drive and east lawn area.

East lawn area of kitchen/living room.

Trac hoe packed up and leaving.  For last time?