ays--during which they were
acquiring the knack of working together, and generally "getting the hang
of things," as Nicholls expressed it--everything went like clock-work.
They averaged six complete strakes of planking--three on either side of
the hull--sawn, trimmed, steamed, and fixed, per diem; and as there
happened to be thirty strakes up to the covering-board it cost them just
ten days of strenuous labour to get the inner skin laid; and the laying
of the outer skin consumed a similar period. Then there was the
caulking and paying of the seams in the inner and outer skins--which was
a task that needed the most careful doing and was not to be hurried--as
well as the protection of the inner skin by a coat of good thick
white-lead laid on immediately under each plank of the outer skin and
applied the last thing before screwing each plank down; all this ran
away with time; so that it took them a full month to complete the
planking-up and advance the craft to the stage at which she would be
ready for the laying of the decks. But before this was undertaken they
painted her three coats of zinc white, and, as soon as this was dry,
laid on her copper sheathing and hung her rudder.

The laying, caulking, and paying of the cutter's deck kept them busy for
a fortnight; and she was then in condition for the fitting up of her
interior. This, according to the original design, was divided up into a
forecastle with accommodation for four men, abaft of which came a small
galley on the port side, and an equally small steward's pantry on the
starboard side. Then, abaft these again, came a tiny saloon, and
finally, abaft this again, two little state rooms on one side, with a
little bathroom, lavatory, and sail-room on the other. The saloon was
entered by way of a short companion ladder leading from a small
self-emptying cockpit, some five feet wide by six feet long, this
cockpit being the only open space in the boat, the rest of her hull
being completely decked over. The saloon was lighted by a small
skylight and six scuttles--three of a side--fixed in the planking of the
little craft. The staterooms, although very small, were still
sufficient in size to enable an adult to sleep in them comfortably, and
their interior arrangement was a perfect marvel of ingenuity, each being
fitted with a small chest of drawers under the bunk, and a folding
washstand and dressing-table. This was the arrangement set out in the
plans and provided