No escape from big decisions - and the answer to the puzzle.

One thing about deadlines is that they force you to make decisions. Last week the Herbie repaint team met to discuss plans for the big job in April and the time approaches when I must order paint.

So over the last week I have been paying special attention to which boats look nice and why. I still haven't chosen colours but here are some things I have decided upon. Apologies / thanks if your boat is shown below

1. I'm going to have panels surrounded by a broadish border with a coachline in between. Like this type of thing

although the red coachline is a bit daring

or this
Outside of the coachline will be a different colour from inside.

2. The central panels will not run the whole length of the boat as above, but will break either side of the side doors (or on the other side, the bathroom window) so each side has the name panel, plus two long panels. A bit like the black and cream boat below.

3. I will use dark colours - dark grey, very dark green, or black for the panels

4. The outside borders too will be dark, but a different colour. Much as I love the black and cream of this:


I'm not sure it would look so good on a boat with windows rather than portholes.

5. My coachlines will have square corners, so they won't be scalloped like this

despite the fact that Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing is one of my favourite books of all time!

I'm realising that this approach makes it more difficult to paint than a straight one colour , one long coachline affair, but It might make it easier to repaint over scratches in future if I have smaller areas of one colour. I think Herbie will end up looking a bit chunkier.

Yesterday's puzzle? Well the scale was rather deceptive as it's over six feet long because it's a ...

coffin! Made in Ghana where they apparently go for such things.