FISH STIX Spar

Glued up FISH STIX mast today with Joe's help. The 45º blocks help to align the spar along a centerline. Joe eight-sided one end's blocking, while I did the other, then we both spread glue, stacked staves and put on the band clamps. The mast is then clamped to the board n bench so one side will be flat.

Finished up the anchor chocks for SILENT MAID. She is still getting plumbing and electrical work.

Soaked and pre-bent the oak staves for gaff jaws.Took ribbing all day about the oak logs appearing in the shop. Anyone remember the log lady from twin towers? Well anyway, we are going to whittle them down to bend mast hoops out of, maybe.
Picked out colors for MARION B. Joe sanded and primed the floor boards. Ordered paint from Kirby's for the deck and centerboardcase, (Cream gloss #9) coaming, rails, floorboards, centerboard top, seats, (light gray #25) Her interior and topsides are Interlux Brightside Hatteras off-white, floors oiled. Her Sheerstrake will be rustic red or Brown, both Brightside. Adjusted colors from yesterday's post.
Looking forward to visiting Pleasant Bay Boat and Spar Co. up at the Cape.

Monday Madness

Well, not really madness, but a lot of work in one evening.
Nine of us TSCA members. Ron & Mike W., Mike B. and Bill H., Ned and Ed, Pete and Paul, and me. We painted and oiled the inside of MARION (Hatteras Off-White for her topsides and interior, Jamestown gray for rails and floorboards, Beige for her decks, and Brown or Bering Red for her Sheer plank with Vermilion red beading, Blue below her waterline), glued up Mike's mast, tapered Pete's, made a splicing jig, and end blocks for FISH STIX mast, cut scarfs for three short staves, sanded FISH STIX centerboard and rudder, painted the rudder with bottom paint, cut staves to laminate for the gaff jaws. In case you are wondering, mine is the short arm with green and black sleeve. I have a pink hat.
Mike B. brought a big chunk of oak right from the tree to use for mast hoop bending. Bill H. Brought a fence and miter gauge for a 12" table saw he had donated, which was still in ISM's garage. It hasn't been moved to the shop yet..

Earlier, TORCH got some veneer patches for her low spots, SILENT MAID had her reefer cover assembled, lots of sanding by Caroline and her anchor chock patterns finished.

Harbinger of Spring

Amazing stuff, both because of the stink, but also because it generates enough heat to melt snow and ice. It's growing out behind my shop next to the creek.
Eastern Skunk Cabbage, Foetid Pothos, Polecat Weed, (Symplocarpus foetidus), commonly known as simply Skunk Cabbage, is a low growing, foul smelling plant.

Skunk cabbage is notable for its ability to generate temperatures of up to 15-35°C above air temperature in order to melt its way through frozen ground placing it among a small group of plants exhibiting thermogenisis. Although flowering whilst there is still snow and ice on the ground it is successfully pollinated by early insects that also emerge at this time. Wikkapedia

URCHIN is Home

Got a coat of varnish on her tiller, rudder, spars and spoons.

Finished reassembling the little girl and she is back on her trailer at home, waiting for the water to warm up.
Have a lot to set up for tomorrow night's TSCA work party.

What a Week!

Plane Gang

More of the happy (and sweaty) crew removing paint and fairing TORCH

Painting

Painted URCHIN below decks (if she had any, which she doesn't, being an open boat. One more coat ought to do it. Have to order paint for MARION.

Monday at WOW

I get my braces off!, teach George's classes and spend the rest of the day at the shop.




Busy day and night at the shop. Henry was in working on winches. Newt ferried two boats to Gieger Road. The TSCA sanded bits of MARION after Paul & Pete dismantled her, Ned sanded his mast. It's almost ready to put sealer on. Ed prepped FISH STIX centerboard and it got a coat of glass, Mike and Ed and Paul ran FISH STIX staves through the taper jig. Two masts are ready to go. For those who wanted to know SILENT MAIDs itinerary check out her Facebook page.

More Varnish

URCHIN received yet another coat of varnish on her rails and sheerstrakes and centerboard case. No picture tonight as the batteries were out of spare electrons, but she is wonderfully shiny and bright.
Made yet another combination of veg, turkey, and more veg in the pressure cooker. Asparagus, carrot, hubbard squash, leeks, scallions, olives, prunes, brussels sprouts, tomatoes with burgundy & olive oil and turkey made a lovely 3 minute stew. Next time I will add rice, I think, for the starch. Really good. Had two helpings. Took it over to the inlaws. they liked it too.

Urchin Unction

Made the plug for SILENT MAIDs sink today, sanded & primed FISH STIX rudder. Worked a bit on her centerboard. Two more sneakboxes showed up today. That makes six boats on the floor of the shop.


Varnish yet again on the lovely little boat. URCHINs centerboard case is sanded and varnished as is her mast step. Reinstalled the stern sheets and port stringer. She has a lot of bronze fittings for such a little boat,
Took a long look at DOADy today. I think I will bring her to the shop as soon as URCHIN is done. We've had some nice days, and I could row off a few pounds.

Recipes for Fish

Stopped on the way home from school & got shrimp & Cod.

Mild Cod
This one was really good and easy.

Salt & pepper fish. Juilienne potato. Melt butter in bottom of pot. Toss in potatoe, add fish, dot with butter. Add scallions, carrots, mushrooms, parsely, cauliflower, and lemon. Bring to steam. Time 3 minutes. Remove from heat and depressure. YUM.

Primavera with Bow Ties

This one was a bit more complicated, but you can basically change up the veg to what have you. I would peel the shrimp fist next time too.

Heat pot, oil bottom, toss in bow ties and water along with chopped pepper, garlic, and shrimp. Top with dried tomatoes, capers, olives, beans, parsely and brocollini. Pour on diced tomatoes last, cover, bring to steam, 3minutes later, depressure and serve.

Reefer Madness

Happy companionable crew doing a lovely job with handmade tools. Pulling old cotton from seams with an old file tang is tedious work. TORCH has a lot of running feet of seams.










SILENT MAIDs electronics installation is progressing. The electron surgeon is running cable and making connections to the relocated batteries.


The step sump boxes were fitted and got their staving scribed.

Reefing Seams

Oh what fun an old file can be when applied to the seams on TORCH. The caulking cotton comes out with the stick seam compound in fuzzy lines.
Here is the movie link for the flip. John did a nice edit on my shaky camera work. So smooth.

Over She Goes

TORCH flipped today with grace and control. Jeff and John directed the aerial ballet of over two tons of a-cat in a slow motion roll. Beautifully executed with no drama and a lot of thought. Well done. See her here in the boat shop's webcam along with TOFU (Marion B., TSCA's tuckup)

SILENT MAID had work done on the step sumps and her engine box.

FISH STIX had her name laid out for painting.

Marion Monday

Spent the afternoon teaching sculpture and the evening at the boatshop. Rick showed me his painted bow ties. Newt was stretching the engine cover. John & Paul were setting up the spar lathe. Bill came in with gift white oak for the gaff jaws and beautiful stuff it was too. He & Paul did yeoman's work on continuing the lathe set up by mounting the blocks at the ends and getting the steady rest assembled. All that remains is to drill one hole larger and adjust tracking. Then the switch needs to be strung.

Tom came by with Marion on her trailer. We wheeler her inside and then couldn't live with the placement. Moved all the spar staves back under SILENT MAID and relocated Marion where they were. She is kind of out of the way and can dry out a bit. Pete & I ended up taking the trailer home. Amazingly the light socket and ball fit our equipment.

LOOK! It is another tuckup. We have a beetlecat sail to compare with the pleasure rig and so might build the rig to match. I am looking forward to doing a bit of rigging and canvas work for MAID and FISH STIX. Got out my palm.