House Build - Structure is up!

After the footings/foundation were complete there was another week or so of effort to dig trenches, lay drainage tile and connect up our sewer/water lines. Then, we waited for the materials package to arrive so that the actual house construction could start. It had been a year and a half of effort to get this far and building the actual structure seemed to be almost an afterthought after all the work that had gone into the preparations to be able to receive it. 

We'd hoped that purchasing a custom home materials package from Pacific Homes with most of the components pre-built in an indoor production environment would pay off in both quality and weather-dependent construction time. And so it was. Only ten working days in the capable hands of just two experienced framers from Oakehart Construction (of Qualicum Beach) and there it was. It was amazing to see it come to life with the spaces and views taking shape, just as we'd imagined them in our heads for so long. From the living room, we'll have this great view of the  MV Frances Barkley as she makes her thrice-weekly journeys down the Alberni Inlet to Bamfield.

Here's a day-by-day photo sequence of the ten days of construction.

Day 1

It was an absolutely dismal day with drenching rain when the truck and crane pulled up one early morning. It was just another "Juneuary" day, part of the cold/wet/long spring we've been experiencing this year. It wasn't that cold though and it couldn't dampen our mood. Finally, it seemed like we were actually going to start building a house!

Day 2

All the lower level walls are up, we couldn't believe the one day progress. Note that the wall panels are pre-insulated.

Day 3

Subfloor joists constructed.

Day 4

Another truckload of materials arrives and the window wall is standing.

Day 5

Floor sheathing is on and interior walls are starting to take shape.

Day 6

Mostly together, but no roof trusses yet.

Day 7

Trusses are in.

Day 8

Roof sheathing is on. It's not a large living space, but, the vaulted ceilings should make it feel spacious.

Day 9

Lots of sunshine streaming through the west-facing window wall.

In the kitchen, there'll be a large, elevated sundeck beyond this patio door. West and south exposure will give us lots of sun. It also catches the afternoon sea breeze that starts up every afternoon and funnels up the Inlet. It is delightfully cooling in the hot summer weather that has finally arrived.

Day 10

Structure done. Next steps are interior stairs, windows, doors, roofing and siding. All materials are already on-site and it shouldn't be long before we're weathertight. Then, all the interior systems can be installed, a lengthy process with a lot of detail to work through. At this point, we're probably at least a couple of months from occupancy. That assumes immediate availability of sub-contractors and materials, a big ask in these days of labour shortages and supply chain issues. We'll see...

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May - Out and About

While the house build is continuing, we've been keeping busy. Boat projects never end and there is always a long list of projects waiting for us. As we're living aboard until the house is built, the boat interior cosmetic changes were high priority. We've completed most of those. Now, we need to start the list of mechanical/electrical and exterior projects. As we're not going to be doing much cruising this year though, these have taken a back seat. 

The house-build related workload, at least the part we can do, is also slowing down. We have two storage units stuffed full of all our recently-purchased cabinets, plumbing/lighting fixtures, appliances, fireplace etc. There will be flurries of necessary shopping activity as the house structure goes up, but, most of the work of designing, researching, choosing, ordering, purchasing and picking up 'stuff' is mostly done (we hope!). So, that means we've been able to explore more of the trails that surround us. We have even managed a couple of trips further afield despite the record-breaking cold/wet spring we've been experiencing here in Port Alberni, BC, just our luck. There've been a few good days though and we've taken advantage of them. It's impossible to plan ahead, but, when there's a nice day we try and make an effort to get out.

We visited Vancouver for a memorial service at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. It wasn't the best day weather-wise, but, it was a nice view of the city from their docks.

The view of the Point Grey beach on the other side of the clubhouse wasn't too shabby either! Hard to believe how close to the centre of the city we are here...

While in Vancouver, it was just a short hop over the border to visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington State. The strange thing is that while we were there, it all seemed to look rather familiar and we realized that we'd actually been this way before , in our camper van in 2016! This time though, on a beautiful day and thanks to the late spring this year, we were able to see the fields at their peak.

Even the tree blossoms were still in great condition...

On the way back, we passed through Deception Pass State Park which provided an interesting history lesson.

Back in Port Alberni, we went up the Lookout Trail. When in town, on the valley floor at sea level, it's sometimes hard to realize how the City nestles in its valley, surrounded by mountains. From this view, you can see Sproat Lake off in the distance and the Beaufort Range. It was a hazy, warm day, so not the best photo.

We did a few other new trails, all were great, but, not extra special like the China Creek Falls Trail, just a five minute drive out of town. The clarity of the water had to be seen to be believed and the Falls were perfectly proportioned and cradled in a rock chute. A lovely lunch spot on another perfect day. We also took note of a couple of good swimming holes along the route in case the weather decides to get too hot!

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