Saturday 10 November 2012

SeaFleas, Lightnings and Outboards!

Today we had volunteers Chris, George, Jim, Trevor and Bernie with his cousin Will (from Calgary) in tow...not to mention a few visitors! So lots got done...

Will and Bernie discuss our Boats 4 Folks programme...Calgary next?


Lightning was attacked by Chris and Tevor who had the mast scraped down to bare wood in most places. Next step will be to plug the screw holes before a final chemical stripping of the tough spots, a bleaching of the black stains and a final sanding. Then lots of varnish!

Trevor did at least half the scraping!
Chris did some too...




















Meanwhile George had taken the new oak plank sections for the new transom in Quail home where he deftly jointed (mating the edges) and splined the mated edges. Now it was time to epoxy the two into one panel! A sticky job at best but the two of them did a perfect job - we think. Once the new panel has been sanded it will be difficult to see any joint.


Getting the epoxy into the whole spline groove...
All set up on Georges nice clamps - not too tight!











As the new transom panel is curing they shift to the pattern for cutting out the new piece. It takes a lot of diddling to figure out the new size because of the angle it is on and the fact that the new one will be set in up against the front face of the old one - so it isn't just a matter of copying the old one. It appears that if they cut the new one with a 15 degree bevel it should be about right....stay tuned.

In and out, in and out, fiddle, fiddle...
and finally cut...










Bernie and Will took on figurring out if our Glen L "TNT" Utility would fit in the booth for the winter. After some measurring and sketching Will concluded we would have no problem so it was "All Hands" grab the deck (and the rest of it) for the move into the main building. A bit of wrestling for sure but in she went! The Johnson 18 off our Richardson will adorn her transom for the winter but we need a motor for this one for nest summer. Methinks an old 25 or 30 horse Johnson, Evinrude or Merc would be just right - soemthing from the 50's? Got one that runs?

Young Trevor is all excited about the possibility of taking a turn at the wheel of the TNT next summer!

Our little micro-museum is taking shape now.

A curator who develops this story would be a great team addition!