Before the finishing touches

Before the wrap, rear rack and storage boxes went on, we took Windward down to Joss Bay in Broadstairs for a few days to start finding out what actually worked.

Up to that point, so much of the truck had existed as drawings, measurements and jobs to finish. Taking it away and living in it, even briefly, was the first chance to experience it as a home rather than a project.

We cooked, slept, worked and spent time outside on the deck, while making notes on all the small things that only become obvious once you stop building and start using something.

From the outside it still looked fairly unfinished. The box was plain, the rear rack hadn’t been fitted and there were still storage solutions to add. But inside, most of what we needed was already working.

It was less a first trip than a shakedown, but it was probably the point where Windward started to feel real.