Launched and spars stepped last week, I haven't done much of anything, since.

I haven't even bent on the sails. I've just been enjoying the floating boat. No desire to sail yet, I was excited to get out to the boat after the last couple big rain storms, we've had. Normally, I'd be out there pronto pumping the bilge. In fact, the last few seasons, I'd pump the big manual bilge pump 50 times after a big rain. That signaled that the level had reached my raised (quite high) floating bilge pump switch, which was disconcerting.

Now I go out and I can't even get the bilge pump to prime. Then I open the new lids and I can't find a drop - not one drop - anywhere in the cockpit lockers. This is great fun right now! Who needs sailing, I'm having a blast!

And I like to just walk around, on the cockpit. It's so strong. The old one had lots of soft spots. Not anymore. Our boats cockpit is very, very strong, now.

I think the new cockpit will (has already) substantially raised the quality of the time we'll spend on the boat, this season. Maybe I'll bend on some sails this weekend.

This project is over. The new cockpit is just another part - a very, very good part - of the old boat.