The Varnished Truth w/e Dec 04 10

Action on every front again this past week…

Lightning team:

George has completed the new seat support system and Chris has been creating and installing side deck gussets with loads resolved in-line this time. Scott has just about finished scraping and sanding the varnish dribbles from the inside bottom.

     Skiff Front:

Jim has refreshed the stain and begun the varnishing inside one of the skiffs and it is really looking amazing now. Scuff it up before the next few coats and it should be done next week.

The second skiff should be right behind it.

Oars have been ordered and will be here in 4 to 6 weeks.

Shepherd team:

the scraping of the bottom prior to repainting is about 30% complete.

Other tasks for this week:

Scrapper II and Wings need a winter covers and we have the covers. Scrounge up some ridge poles, sawhorse brackets and some 2x4's and we can get this done.

See you in the Boatshop!

More Despina!

There is a new page added to the blog!
Click on the heading over on the right called Despina in the Water and see a ton of photos and some video of the grand day out!
This clip is actually of our chase boat, the Hunter.

The Varnished Truth w/e Nov 27 10

Ooops, I think I missed last week...

 

Let's see where we are now...

 

Lightning has been the focus of lots of attention:

• seat frames are pretty much fitted and levelled, very nice too
• the inside of the bottom has had some scraping and sanding to get rid of the varnish runs   from doing the outside of the bottom.
• finishing up these two areas should get done this week. We'll need some brass bolts and white cedar to complete the seat restoration.
• the mast step needs to be stripped and refinished soon as do the seat bottoms which will be retained.

 

Shepherd Despina:

• scraping of the bottom has begun, lots to do there before new paint.
• the cuddy cabin needs to come apart for cleaning and refinishing next.

 

Skiffs!!

• one has had some attention from Jim and is almost ready for varnishing of the stained areas.
• materials for the next skiff kits is coming together thanks to two new sponsorships - please welcome Carbon Steel Profiles and Poczo Manufacturing to our team!

Harry Hodson Yawl:

• the ceiling boards are out of the hull now revealing a couple of more cracked planks. Our Boatbuilder friend Dwight Boyd of Clarion Boats dropped in this week and suggested that we just "spline" the cracks and make minimal rib repairs as required, all following stripping and cleaning the hull.
• this 17' Canoe Yawl (as they are called) is a very pretty boat and promises to be an interesting sailer.

• long term we would like to take the lines off and make a few new ones that can be vigorously sailed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roni is refinishing some small furniture items for sale in the booth.

 

There are a few longer term plans in the works of which more anon...

 See you in the shop!

The Varnished Truth w/e Nov 13 2010

Do you believe this weather?? Shop door open all day today - wonderful!

 

Several of our volunteers attended the Power Squadron Rib Fest just up the road at St. Alban's church on Sat night. It was really terrific - good food, lots of it and a very entertaining and informative speaker. The Weather Guy. He taught us through humour how to read what's coming by looking at clouds. You gotta catch this guy - Ron Bianchi!

 

If you envision operating any of our growing restored powerboat fleet next summer, you might consider doing the Boating Course through the North Halton Power & Sail Squadron, www.nhpss.ca or call Dave Aitken at 905 878-2035 

 

Can we put together a fundraiser dinner like this?

 

Today John came over with his portable lift truck and we took the Shepherd back off the trailer so we can scrape, sand and refinish the bottom. There are few other little things to do as well.

 

 

 

 

Chris and the Lightning crew are into making up new seating for her. The idea is to create an arrangement that works, is removable, is structurally sound yet still adheres to the 60's look.

 

Seats for one of the skiffs have their finish coat of varnish and are off to one side to harden. One boat has a couple of coats of primer and now needs some filling before another coat.

 

Tuesday evening it would be nice to see some new faces. Roni picked up a few pieces of antique furniture for selling in the booth - but they need some attention first. If you have any experience with old furniture - give us a hand!

 

your board is digging into the creation of an "alternative education" programme that would operate in partnership with the schools. This has always been part of our long term vision but the recent article about the programme on Lake Champlain has inspired us to get to work on it. www.lcmm.org

 

Stay tuned..

 

Malcolm

The Varnished Truth w/e Oct 31 10

A great day today! John came over and after some fooling around we have both engines in The Despina running! What sweet music - too bad we couldn't run them at the same time...Next step - the Grand Launching.

The shop has completely changed this week, a much better layout, more benches (if only we had more light)

If you have a few odd electrical boxes, switches, receptacles - any of that wiring stuff lying around or if you know someone in the business who can have this sort of stuff donated, bring it in. We need a few hundred feet of Romex in 3 and 4 conductor variations I suspect.

OK, back to this week's programme.

Lightning is right side up again and looking shipshape. Next a clean-up of the interior where varnish and Sikaflex dripped through when we did the bottom. The team is already figuring out the seat supports etc. Lots of stripping, sanding and varnishing coming up before the new deck.

 

Skiffs have room to get finished now, a bit more sanding then coatings go on.

A new addition to the shop is Amie Lou, our 1906 Harry Hodson 17' Yawl. The Despina team wants to restore her this winter and find out how she sails next summer. Work will include a partial plank replacement, deck restoration, new gunnels and lots of stripping, sanding and varnishing! (who'd have guessed).

Stay tuned for the launching of Despina!