The latest from the manufacturer of our observatory structure: “The [shipping] broker advised me to wait until the 2nd of April USA time to see what extra paperwork there might be under Trump’s tariffs.” It appears to us that our tariff-loving President’s “Liberation Day” will mean more money “liberated” from our bank account.

And so, another delay in shipping, for yet another reason — they recently had to remake the shipping crate due to wood content — costing more money in the end. If the manufacturer had shipped earlier, and from our viewpoint, it appears they could have, this latest mess and expense would have been avoided — it’s not like it was a secret widespread tariffs were coming!

We can only hope all will be resolved and shipping will actually begin early this month. Will we be able to build the thing this summer, a year-plus from our original expectation?

The experience has, thus far, been frustrating, and disheartening. We have little faith the path ahead will be smoother.

Note: We know of no U.S. manufacturer of small observatories made of fiberglass or non-metal materials. These unique products are imported and subject to shipping charges and import costs such as tariffs.