It is always an exciting day when the last concrete mud is applied to a feature and the last of the carving is done. What formerly lived only in our minds and on paper now is real - BIG as life! The ship is massive and dominates the shop, measuring almost thirty feet in length. With the top deck in place it will measure about thirteen feet tall and the masts will take it seven or eight feet higher than that. The tops of the masts and the upper deck still remain to be done but they are small bits in relation to the giant hull now complete. Tomorrow the ship gets pushed out into the parking lot to cure.
Once the ship is installed in the center of the pond the second hole of the mini golf will go over a gangway, through the ship, over a second gangway and onto dry land once more. The two masts will be obstacles for those golfers who don't hit down the middle. We'll put down a thin concrete deck for transport but once the ship is in place four inches of concrete will be poured through the two gangways and ship deck. Here's a couple of shots showing the deck details. The captain's wheel will be up on the upper deck out of reach of the guests.
The other good thing about finishing a feature is that it means we get to move onto the next feature. We've got some pretty cool stuff ready for concrete! Stay tuned...
-grampa dan