Before the stringers, deck beams and hull sides go on was a good opportunity to add hatches to our Secret 20 build. These will allow access to the bilges -and let us seal up the plywood therein when we put the boat’s bottom on.

We recessed our 5 inspection hatches by cutting a plywood ring that means the surface of the hatch will sit at bunk level – no princess and the pea for whoever sleeps in the bunks on this boat!

We also cut a larger hatch in the bunk to allow access to the storage underneath – we’ll probably install the boat’s batteries in here.

Keep checking back here for snippets showing how we’re getting on – and read our full articles in PBO each month. Why not subscribe and make sure you never miss an issue?

3. Sailing a Secret 20

We took a trip to Brightlingsea to sail a Secret 20 while ours was in transit

Great progress on PBO’s new project boat!

PBO's Secret 20 kit-boat starts to look boat-shaped in short order

The new PBO project boat is on it’s way!

The new PBO project boat is en route to England from Australia - in pieces of plywood, timber and epoxy.

1. Sharing our Secret!

After approximately 11,232NM at sea, our new project boat was craned off a container ship and transferred to a freight-forwarding…