The preparation for the interior details of the boat are mostly complete.  The dash is shaped and drilled for the gauges, the steering wheel is set, seat parts are attached to the frame with brass inserts, and are ready for upholstery.  The oil tank and battery have mounting shelves, and the tracks for the wire harness, fuel and vent lines are ready.

In December, Chief Inspector Andy Peterson from Starboard Choice Marine even came over for a site visit to make sure we hadn’t left out anything important.

Liza Hartman and Nibha McCrae also came to look it over.  They had good attitudes, but did not do a very good job of the weight stress test on the back seat.

 Brayden and Bella Lehman climbed aboard and made a playground out of the boat.

 Clay and Hudson Reichanadter also helped in their own way.

Christmas was coming, with our extended family planning to join us, so we arranged to have a Boat Turning Party.  The boat building had started upside down on simple legs at each cross frame, along with the inspiring 1/5 scale model.

When we turned it over the first time, I had made a pair of cradles to hold it, custom fit to the hull.

This time, I built a simple but strong leg supports out of 2x4s and screwed them to the top cross frames.  Below are those cradles on the bottom and the new legs on the top.

The ceiling already had the 2×6 framework added, so we strung the 3/4″ nylon rope across it at the front and back support areas.  Our engineer, Danny Seibert, got the ropes right to get the process started.

Then, we slowly hoisted the boat up and tightened the ropes.  With the ropes assisting for security, we lifted and turned bit by bit.

The spectators in the basement gallery gasped a bit and cheered, and before long the boat was upside down again on the attached legs.  It was a moving experience for Clint Sprunger.

Below is the trusty crew, all relatives, and our neighbor who often refers to himself as Uncle Doug, due to his extraordinary efforts with arranging for our children’s spouses, etc.

Turning the boat was particularly appropriate, as December was coming to a close.  New Year’s Eve is the annual, most obvious display of the passage of time.  We think about a new start, of resolutions for change, set new goals and imagine new dreams.  For one, this 20′ speedboat goes in the water this summer, sink or swim.  There we have it.

For some of us, 2014 is a series of good memories.  But God is not unaware, or distant, from anyone left with a bitter taste or unmet expectations.  In John 12: 46, Jesus says, “I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer wander in the darkness.”