The Big Additions of 2010

  

It seems to fit right in!

Getting back to that list of items we wanted to complete, adding an arch the back of the boat was one of the big ones.  Brett had done a LOT of research on what we wanted and now we just needed to find someone that could build it for a price we could actually afford.  I am delighted to say we found the perfect combination in the company Railmakers Northwest, located in Everett, Washington.  Our contact there, Mark Reeves, was not only easy to work with – but a master designer.  He took our ideas and the pictures of what we wanted and came up with a beautiful stainless arch that is perfectly suited to our boat and our many needs (antennas, solar panels, wind generator, GPS, engine and dinghy davits, etc., etc.).  

The dinghy davits
pre-solar install

The arch was designed to fit on all of the old stern rail pads, so when the day of the install arrived, we thought no way could Mark and his team have gotten this right on the first try.  There must be a 1000 different angles that had to be perfect over the 6 pads (with 4 bolt holes each!).  Much to our delight, not only did it fit perfectly on the first try, we were able to install it ourselves (always trying to save money!) with the help of our two friends Teresa and Steve.  Nice work Railmakers!

The box follows the lines of the boat

Another big item we decided to add was a new fiberglass storage locker at the stern of the boat. 

Lots of extra storage!

 We asked for a quote from our friend Paul Ziggler at Northwest Fiberglass and he was kind enough to give us a very competitive (did you say “family deal” Paul?) bid on the box.  While we were desperate for additional storage I felt a lot of trepidation about how a huge fiberglass box would affect the lines and look of our boat – but I also knew we needed more space.  Thankfully, Paul is a true craftsman.  The finished box follows the lines of the boat and looks like it was almost original to the design.  And the best part is that if we decide to sell Bella Vita one day and the new owner doesn’t like or want the box, it is easily removed.  I would highly recommend Paul to anyone in the area that needs fiberglass work done – he does fantastic work (and I’m not just saying that because he gave us the family deal!).