Marginalia

Hatch Cover and Mast Collar

 

(to start of project)

Progress has been steady, though you’d never know it from the blog posts. There’s some catching up to do.

The Hatch Cover and Mast Collar are almost done, as are the Rudder and Tiller. Used the same sandpaper trick to shape the Mast Collar to the curve of the deck, and tried to lower the profile of this one a bit so it isn’t so prominent. The Hatch Cover turned out well, despite attempts by the wood to curl in on itself. Just took a lot of careful scribing and clamping – and leaving that bucket of water in the hold all week.

Continue reading “Hatch Lid and Mast Collar”

Hatch Cover clamped in place

 

(to start of project)

Managed to get a little work done between New Years festivities, etc..

The weather warmed and melted all the snow, but humidity is still very low. Getting the hatch cover cutout back to it’s original shape required several days in a tent of plastic with a wet paper towel inside.

Continue reading “Hatch Lid – Bowed Wood”

Unboxing the Log

 

(to start of project)

For the first post of 2011, I thought I would say a long overdue thanks to a few people. This will be a start, anyway.

Back in August, when I was in the middle of the mad push to get ready for MASCF, a big box arrived from Lafayette, Indiana. Inside were a several t-shirts and a note from Roger Rodibaugh.

Continue reading “Simple Gifts”

On the left, my offsets lofted; on the right, Chapelle’s

 

(to start of project)

Winter is surely boat building season, or at least boat dreaming season. Over the last few days I’ve heard from three people making plans to start their own Melonseed projects: Guiseppe in Bari, Italy; Kirk in Colorado; and Bob in Hobe Sound, Florida. I completely sympathize, as I’ve been reading a lot about boats lately, too, while Winter makes itself at home. This is what it looks like here today (note how disturbingly diminished the wood pile is):

Continue reading “Correcting Errors”

Aeon gets coaming trim

 

(to start of project)

Rain and cold, freezing mist. A long lazy weekend, spent mostly by the fire with a good book. Been reading a lot lately, I’ve missed it, and have quite a backlog of good stuff to last all winter. It’s rather nice to spend a morning drifting in a story where boats play some part – a little history, some adventure, or just plain good storytelling – then take a hot mug of coffee downstairs to do a little work on one. Adds a little spice to the process, like a gumbo versus plain soup.

Continue reading “Fit and Trim”

Side coamings clamped up

 

(to start of project)

Between holidays, Terri’s role in a local theatre production, both of us getting nasty colds, and such as that, the boat building pace has eased a bit lately. Besides feeling under the weather, we’ve already started to get some weather, too – snow flurries coming over the mountain Friday, and a light dusting covered everything by Sunday morning. Epoxy has started to thicken in the jugs again, and with the cold it now takes a week or more for a batch to cure. No point in rushing now, I suppose.

Continue reading “Wood and Weather and Such”