SAMOA 34 BARBECUE FOR THE SAMOA 34 Arriving in Campinas on Friday night at eight o'clock we went straight to a dancing party. There we met Carmen and Flávio Rodrigues from Flab Boat Yard with their friends, clients, and some of the amateur boat builders, all waiting to see the Samoa 34 being turned upright. That Saturday, after a night of dancing, the expectation and curiosity among all present at the party was great. The barbecue began very early. At the shed, besides Rodrigo Feher's Samoa 34 hull number one, there was also Piqueres and Ivana's Multichine 28, the interior of which being already in the final stages of completion and Álvaro's Samoa 30 with the strip planking completed. After taking many photos and a lot of technical conversation concerning construction and finishing details, the boat was upturned. With the curiosity of the amateur boat builders present on this occasion, wanting to know how they would upturn their boats when the time arrived, there was far more helping hands than necessary. Flávio had already developed a system in which two people alone could handle the job without problems. Two shafts were fixed at the extremities, one on the transom, the other on the stem. These shafts rested on bearings. So it was easy, just removing the supports that held the boat, transferring its weight to the bearings and start turning it, using two ropes, one to pull and the other to hold. The great fright was when the boat was at 90 degrees. Nobody could imagine the interior volume as observed from that angle. That boat looked more like a 40 footer. In less than a minute more than 20 people were aboard, and it didn't seem to be crowded. The hardest job was to convince Rodrigo to leave his new dwelling. To commemorate, another barbecue was served, with plenty of beer and dancing. The turning operation having lasted only five minutes. The party ended up with everybody diving into the swimming pool. Click on images to enlarge them Samoa 34 built by Flab Boatyard. Flab Boatyard from Campinas, Brazil, is delivering another custom built wood/epoxy sail boat. The warmth and beauty of the construction of this superbly built Samoa 34 really impressed us. The builder, Flávio Rodrigues, deserves our sincere compliments. If you are fond of wooden boats, Flab Boatyard, www.flab.com.br is a great choice for obtaining a long lasting, low maintenance yacht at an affordable price. Their construction blend the most varied types of wood with a superb joiner work and their general quality are among the best you can find anywhere in the world. Click on images ANOTHER SAMOA 34 HAS HER HULL TURNED UPSIDE. First time out Turning over Front view Interior details Seen from astern Click on images A DREAM COME TRUE           Yesterday, after nearly three months without talking to Roberto Barros, I phoned the office for news of the construction of the Samoas 34, to remind him of the plans of the dinghy and to hear from my friend. It's always a pleasure to talk with him. All the family are nice people. His wife Eileen, without knowing her personally, is always very helpful every time we talk over the phone. Like good trees that give good fruit, Astrid doesn't escape this rule, and is a very good yacht designer. Those who have read the book "The fantastic Adventures of Maitaroa", admires and respects this nautical family. The Samoa 34, designed by the family's office and of which I have the pleasure of being one of the first to acquire the plans, is proof of what I have mentioned. Before opting for the Samoa 34, I surveyed all possibilities, fibreglass construction, steel, or yet, wood epoxy. I visited professional boat builders, as well as amateur constructors. I visited constructions in various stages, from hull construction to finishing, nothing pleased me. Finally, I took some holidays and passed by Rio de Janeiro to get to know the Samoa 34. Doing this I killed two birds with one stone. I had the pleasure of getting to know personally Roberto Barros and Sabadear, the first Multichine 28 built in Cabo Frio by the boat builder , Marcos Toledo. A jewel of a boat, but a bit small for two families on a long trip. When I commented this detail with Roberto, he immediately gave me the solution. I have a "Samoa 34" in the final stages of being designed. We are finishing the details of construction. Can you wait? By its simple description, good internal distribution, good head room, a lot of comfort and good ventilation, there remained no doubts, this had to be my next boat! The six months of waiting to receive the plans was no problem except for my anxiety. But one day the plans arrived confirming my expectations. I was the target of family jokes. I couldn't separate myself from the plans. Since then I am taking the plans with me anywhere I go, and at every opportunity , I study all the details of the construction. The Roberto Barros office really makes good plans for amateur boat building. Even people with no experience, but with some skill and adequate working tools can build this boat. This will be my fourth construction. With the three first plans I got the feeling that I could fly higher. I had never built a boat the size of the Samoa 34, with a complete set of plans, and a construction manual, besides being able to count on the assistance of the designer. At any rate, I am now feeling an increased confidence in my shipwright abilities. I am finishing the frames, floors and beams. The parts missing are the support cleats for the furniture and the finishing of the transverse bulkheads. Up to now the job seems to be quite good looking.. I keep imagining the end of the construction - still a bit distant - but I can feel life in the progress of the work. They say that boats talk with their owners. Mine is still in the embryo phase. When sawing the strips, gluing each peace of timber to another one, I can feel the vibrations growing as I see the hull taking shape - it will take time till the day arrives when she will be launched, but the pleasure of building a boat with good plans, the warmth of the wood and the pleasure of creating something with our own hands, justifies all the work I still have ahead of me. Eduardo Guariglia Jr. Amateur Constructor