IF IT WERE EASY...

 ... everyone would be doing it.

There aren't many buildings on Lovango Cay and today helps explain why.  The logistics involved in getting concrete to the site were incredible.  Not to mention the forms!  Thanks to neighbor and contractor Dan Boyd for pulling it together so gracefully.

Showers in the morning were a nuisance but didn't slow the progress.  The texts started at 8:30 am with the photo below confirming the first concrete truck had made the beach.  By 2:00 pm the final text and a photo of the General packed up with the pumper and concrete trucks casting off from the beach, headed home to St Thomas.

Not sure how you pour the footings, floor, and walls in one session but that was the plan and it appears to have worked flawlessly.  Next steps once the walls cure and are stripped will be to back-fill the cistern and form the first floor slab including the cap for the cistern.  No word on timing... still basking in the glow of this progress after so long a wait.

On a side note- based on the evidence that we might actually have a place to visit someday, we've ordered the dinghy from Harald Tapp at  Offshore Marine, based in St. Thomas.  It's a 15' Walker Bay Generation 450 inflatable with 70 hp Yamaha that should show up in early April.  Though small, it's exceptionally seaworthy and Coast Guard certified to carry up to 8 people... about the same as the cottage.  Also, beginning April 1, we have secured rack space through Ben Beer at the aptly named East End Boat Services in Red Hook- a very convenient location on the east end of St Thomas, as close as possible to St John and Lovango, and right across from the only/biggest supermarket in Red Hook.

8:30 am - concrete truck is backed off the barge and on to the beach, ready to feed the pumper truck.

The barge backed to beach with concrete truck on the deck and the pipe up from the pumper truck.  Romans have nothing on Dan Boyd.

Finishing off the floor of the cistern which will hold over 20,000 gallons of rainwater captured from the roof in two compartments.  One hurricane season should fill this and provide more than enough water for a year (assuming cold Navy showers!).

Back wall filled (Capt. Phil's place in background).  Once forms are stripped, this wall will be back-filled and the first floor slab will cover the cistern and connect it to the area to the left.

Front wall filled.  This will be the forward edge of the downstairs deck/porch.

2:00 pm - pumper and concrete trucks packed up on the General and headed home to St. Thomas.