Raymond is finally home after being on the boat for 2 weeks! In that time we had a “Tropical Storm” I put quotes because that was just a little rain storm for us lol. I know that others did actual have bad weather from it but for us here it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as they thought it was going to be. We made sure that to camp was tied up just in case and it stayed that way until Raymond got home!

It may not seem like we got much done this time but the work that was done was tedious.

Day 1

or starters after that storm someone at the dock went to move the forklift and didn’t see the giant rope tied to the front of the camp to the forklift and yanked the whole camp out of square! (insert the red mad face emoji here lol.) So Friday morning Raymond had to go back and resquare the whole camp all over again. Once that was all done he laid all the plywood down for the subfloors. He got to all laid out and remember that he needed to cut 2inches off of each board. So he had to pull it all back up. After he got them cut he re-screwed them all back down again on just the corners. We used 3/4 treated plywood for the subfloors. He staggered them so that the seems where not all down the middle of the camp floor.

Day 2

Saturday morning he chalked out where all the cross beams ran under the subfloor. This helped so that he knew where to put a screw at. He then spent the morning screwing down the entire subfloor with screws every few inches apart along the beams.

Day 3

Sunday he cut and installed the front and back porch boards. Using 4 x 4 post he made timber-heads for securing the camp and towing. They are lag bolted to the main beams. He used 2 x 12 x 10 on the front and back as end caps. These will also go around the whole camp in the future.

Day 4

Monday morning he was ready to move the camp into the water!!! He used pipe with chains ran through them as lifting points. They used the forklift and a cherry picker to lift and move the camp into the water. The time lap video makes it look so easy. Using the M/V Jax to push the camp into the Teche and behind our house for the next two weeks! We used the Tug this time because the current in the Atachafaya River is very strong right now and we had to push the camp against it to get into the locks.

Day 5

Tuesday we went and used our Xpress boat and see how we will hook up to move it ourself. We didn’t go far just a quick little trip up the bayou then back!

We are all very excited to get this done!! Connor already knows its the camp! We are thinking of calling it “Connor’s Cabin” This really is a place we will be able to spend countless family time together!! It may take us a little longer then we had planned but spending family time together while Raymond is home is a must!!!

What else do you do when you are stuck in the house due to a Tropical Storm? Well you fix your hair, throw on some makeup, and make the best of the crappy lighting to do a Shop the Mint Tryon!

Ya’ll I am loving this collection!!! It’s all the Red, White & Blue you can handle!! These pieces are a must have for summer and for all of our USA holidays!! I love that I’ll be able to wear them for years to come too!!

You can shop all of these looks and the whole collection through my Liketoknow.it page. Don’t have the Liketoknow.it app, that’s okay just click HERE to go right to Shop the Mint’s 4th of July collection!

Tryon is saved in my highlights on my Instagram page!! Watch til the end and you’ll get to see some super cute bloops of Connor! ” Hey Guyssss” I swear he is just way too cute!! Which one is your favorite? I know for sure I will be rocking a few pieces on the 4th for sure!!!

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What’s your plans for the 4th? Do you have annual plans that you do every year or do you make new plans every year? We tend to just go with the flow here! I don’t like to make plans because we don’t always know for sure if Raymond will be home or not. But this year I’m “planning” on attending a family party!! I’m on the hunt for some swim trunks for Connor that I will share as soon as I find some I like!!

I hope you all enjoy your time with your Family and enjoy our amazing counties birthday!!

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Week one on the camp is done!!!! I can’t believe how much Raymond got done in 3 days!! He has been very hard at work, while I just sit back and stay out of his way!! I promise you he is happier with me not being there asking question or getting in his way. I did go down there and check out the progress like any good boss does hahaha! We are very lucky that we are able to use our family boat dock. This is where all of the Tug Boats are docked when they are not working. We have full power and water there, plus all the heavy machines we need to move things around.

Most of the wood, screws, straps, and floats came from Home Depot. We did pick up a few things from our local lumber store! All of the details and daily progress is listed below. But first……

I’ve been asked by a few of my friends in the north “What is a camp?” So I will do my best to try and explain it!! A camp in South Louisiana is like a hunting cabin up north. Ours just so happens to float on water (like a house boat), others may be on land! Some are lucky to have electric while others have to use generators! Depending where the camp is located you can drive your car or you may have to take your boat! Ours will be a 30 minute boat ride!! Price range? Well that depends on who its for. I have seen come camps both on the water and land that are in the millions dollar range and some that are on a budge like ours!! We even have “homes” in some of the coastal areas that are called “camps” for their owners. We are very happy with the small, floating, budget friendly camp we are building to spend countless family time together!!!

Day One – Sunday

Raymond started by laying out the 6 floats where they will need to be! They are feet apart long ways and 5.5 feet apart wide. This makes a 24 x 20 base. Each float has two 4x6x12 beams attached to them with a two foot over lay front and back. After laying them out he squared everything off and maker where every hole had to be drilled out. We used 7in carriage bolts going through the beams and the pre-made holes in the floats. There is 10 bolts per float. Each float can hold 2800 pounds!!

Day Two – Monday

First thing he had to do was go get rubber to place in between the treated beams and the aluminum flat bar, the rubber keeps the treated beam from eating up the aluminum. We used 12(two for each beam) 10 foot 3in x 1/4 Aluminum flat to connect the front and back floats. This is to help from keeping the the middle joint from flexing. Each beam has 8 8in carriage bolts holding them together. The next step is to square off where the floor joist will go. They are 16ins apart. We used 38 – 2 x 6 x 12 board cut down to 10 foot. The 2 foot that was cut off was used to brace the boards together in the middle. Started on the joist hanger hurricane straps before it was quieting time!!

Day Three – Tuesday

Last full day before all the rain stopped the work for this time he is home!! 120 joist hanger hurricane straps each with 6 screws each were installed where the floor joist touched all 6 beams. Deadwood between the floor joist where the seams of the plywood will fall. Extra 4×6 braces were added too. 4×4 braces were placed in the middle to help the aluminum braces too. Last both of the 2 foot walk ways down the sides were installed.

Raymond has done an amazing job. He has done 75% of this work all by himself. He got help from some of the guys on the boat that has been at the dock and some help from a carpenter friend of ours. While Raymond will be on the boat we will have someone add another 120 joist hanger hurricane straps.

We are thinking it will take him another 3 times of him being home to be all done. Then its off to the lease so we can enjoy our second home!!!! We can’t wait!!!