Marginalia

50 cents a ride.

 

(to start of project)

I got nothin. In five days I’ll be 50. I won’t be done by then. I was hoping to have a Boat Birthing/50th Birthday Party by February 28, but it ain’t gonna happen. Weather and Life have conspired against me. I’m two months behind. I’m flooding the basement, trying to bring up the humidity so my wood won’t warp. (No metaphors, please.) The power goes out, then comes back on. There’s still six inches of snow in the yard, with more on the way tomorrow, though flowers are coming up through the frozen ground.

 

How do they know?

 

I need more sunlight.

 

 

Lighting the lantern, power out again.
(photo by T)

 

(to start of project)

I admit I’ve said a few small prayers to the weather gods to bring more moisture, something to help with my humidity problem. Obviously, I should have been more specific. At least about the form that moisture should take. Continue reading “Weather”

Curve in Transom

 

(to start of project)

 About those towels . . .

Here’s one of those little problems that you don’t really factor into work the schedule. It’s not covered in the manual, but it’s one of the major hazards of any woodworking project that spans several seasons. See, wood, as an organic material, has evolved structurally over millions of years to be very good at absorbing water at one end of the tree and transporting it to another. Every fiber, every cell, is designed for this. Just because you cut the tree down doesn’t stop that structure from working entirely. Imagine that! It still works like a sponge, and so shrinks and swells as it absorbs and releases moisture. But it does it so slowly, and our projects are usually completed so quickly, that we don’t notice it. Not so with a boat project that has already seen the passing of four full seasons. Continue reading “Hazards of Humidity (or lack thereof)”

South Centerboard Case and Deck Beams

 

 

(to start of project)

New Years Eve. No partying for us tonight – we’re packing for a trip to South Carolina in the morning, visiting family for a few days. The weather is only barely cooperating, with sleet and snow every night, warming enough afternoons to melt it off cars and roads.  We still have snow on the ground from before Christmas. Between that, and the fact that all four of us and three dogs will be making the 10 hour drive in one car together, it should be an interesting trip, to say the least. Continue reading “Resolute”

The Red Shed in Snow

 

(to start of project)

Two feet of fresh snow has preoccupied us the last several days. It broke a record for snow in December here, turning our little town into Currier and Ives prints, and giving us fun things to do outside. Between playing in the snow and holiday preparations there’s been precious little time for boatie things – which seem strangely foreign at the moment, as though Summer is a place in the South Pacific.  It is time well spent, though.

In the meantime, it is Christmas Eve, and a good time to share a little cheer. Continue reading “Greeting Cards”