MOVE-IN DAY

Another enormous logistical challenge handled beautifully by Dan and crew.  The contents of a 40' container full of appliances, cabinets, furniture, rugs, sheets, towels, blender, coffee maker and even toilet paper (why not when you can buy anything on Amazon?) is now resting under cover in the Lovango cottage.  Deliveries from Amazon, Ikea, Polaris, Home Depot, and others were consolidated and packed in Miami, shipped in the container to St Thomas where they cleared customs and were shipped again to St John where the container was emptied into a truck that was barged over to Lovango and offloaded to the beach before being run up the hill.  (Awful run-on sentence for effect)  The St John-Lovango-cottage portion done (miraculously) between 6 am and noon this morning.

Over 7,000 lbs of stuff now awaits our arrival next Tuesday for the first (and last) Lovango Ikea Assembly Party.  Pass the allen wrench.

Container in FL before sealing door.

Off loading container and packing the truck in St John.

Early morning passage (on flat water) to Lovango.

The Polaris being put to work.

Off loading the beached truck.

Beach cleared by early afternoon.

Truck loaded to head back to St John.

More camp solutions.  nautical door stops.  Hmm... maybe not.

Finishing downstairs tile.

UNDER PRESSURE

The cistern is 3/4 full (16,000+ gallons) and the rough plumbing is completed and pressurized.  A couple of toilets are on site awaiting bathroom floor tile and final hook-up to the aerobic septic system.  Consolidation of stateside goods for the container is on schedule, as well.  Still looking good for flushing and running water and a boat-load of Ikea furniture on site by April 19.

40 lbs of pressure in the line.

The picture of organization- pump and tank and lines in the mechanical room.

The battery farm.  12 cells.

First look at tile laid down in the downstairs bedroom.  Grout to follow.

First look at dock repairs (from Hurricane Erica damage) ... still some work on decking but frame is fresh and squared up.

THROWING THE SWITCH

Batteries arrived and solar panels are now collecting juice.  Floor tiling has been happening on the ground floor though no photos.  Race is on to get a sink and toilet installed (which means pumps) before our April 19 forced family fun ground assault on Lovango.

The mechanical room with electric panels and batteries.

Stateside we spent the weekend in Miami getting Ikea, Home Depot and the ATV orders ready for the container.  Everything seems to be coming together so the shipment will be in St John before April 19.

The new Polaris Ranger... battery powered.  Only available in cammo (within 200 mile radius of Miami).

The pick-up truck we didn't need since everyone delivers.  But nice bench and cup holders.

After 7 hours and 45 minutes in Ikea.

DRIFTING CAMPY

As things continue to progress the cottage drifts further from fancy and pretty clearly into campy.  No high end windows or doors; everything built on site with cost, functionality, minimal maintenance and simplicity the focus.

First draft of front doors- closed.  Unpainted.

First draft of front doors- open.  With a great deal of open access these were designed as bi-fold to accommodate narrow nesting areas.

Updated shot from the dock.  Scaffolding down for the first time!

Tile from Home Depot in USA arriving on Lovango.  Another load for Dan's truck.

CLOSURE & COLOR

Dan and crew have been building and installing shutters and Beth got the paint picked out so we're getting the first look at a closed in building with a little color added.

First look at painted shutters. 

... from every angle.

First look at some installed shutters.  Still awaiting paint, though.

A little drainage control has been added to the driveway.

East side shutters installed.  Second floor gutter draining into 1st floor gutter is temporary to capture what we can until everything is tied to cistern.  Note the solar panels are now mounted over the porch.

West side shutters.  Not sure where that pipe off of back gutter is headed.  Eventually all will be tied to the cistern.

Shutter color... picked the island farthest from Lovango as possible.

CLOSING IN ON IT

Figuring out the shutter design.  Heidi had drawn an X-framed shutter but Dan offered up a simpler diagonal... then the X.  We are sticking with the X.  Interior framing is moving forward, Tile has been bought from Home Depot and shipped to FL to be shipped to STT to be trucked to the marina to be brought over in Dan's boat (Patches or Sea Biscuit) to be hauled up the hill to Lovangalow.  Steady as we go.

Final shutter design.  Not yet painted.

First option- simpler diagonal.  Dismissed.

Progress with upstairs bedroom framing.

Floor tile for the downstairs.  Wondering how many pieces it will show up in by the time it reaches Lovango.

SEAS THE DAY SEES LOVANGO

Word from Dan is the siding is finished and the crew is working on shutters, doors and interior framing.  On this end we're picking paint colors and thinking about kitchen, bathrooms, and furniture for a container that will ship out of Miami.  Hoping to have a container land in St John for us to meet and unpack in April.  And by then have solar power working and water running so we can camp in the cottage as we set it up.

No new photos from Dan but got an email with the shots below from Eric who blogged about a beautiful place that he and his partner built on St. John a year ago called Seas the Day.  Eric has been a great and generous source of information on all things building on St John.   I've yet to meet him except through email but he sent through two pics he took while out boating recently.  To see Eric's blog and rental information on Seas the Day, go to http://www.seasthedayvi.com/

Just needs shutters and doors to get closed up.  There won't be any glass in the windows... shutters only.  Hopefullly whatever flies in will find a way to fly out.

Shot from the water.  The Love Shack on the beach, Captain Phil's house to the right, yellow with aqua roof and Dan's place behind ours.

http://www.seasthedayvi.com/