Winter Wood Replacement

Travis :

It has been a few weeks since I last posted. I haven't really been that busy, just lazy I guess. The shorter days and the increasingly cold weather is bringing us all down these days. It's hard to keep going at all, much less try and keep the same kind of pace I had earlier in the year. Even Chopper has slowed down quite a bit. Most peaple who have met him find it hard to believe he ever stops, so we took the lazy picture above just to prove it. He hates cold weather and we don't like it either. Despite our suffering from Season Affective Disorder we are still chugging along on the enormous refit of Me Voy. Two weeks ago I built some structural supports for the steering blocks and fixed some leaky deck fittings. This past week I faired and fiberglassed a large bulkhead repair and began replacing the hull planking in the engine room. Today I milled another mile or so of Mahogany for planking the last of it. After that there are about five more frames to build in and that will do it fo the hull. If we can overcome the urge to slip into hibernation, I should be past all this in a few weeks.

I also want to let everyone know what a fantastic boat carpenter Maggie is proving herself to be. Anyone who has ever seen her artwork knows that she is extremely talented in many mediums. Check out www.DogOnBoat.com . You might be surprised, as I am, at how great she is becoming at fine woodwork. She has been doing some of the interior cabinetry work in our forward stateroom and has done a beautiful job. I hate to say it but I am not sure I could have done any better myself. I'll let her show the finished pictures when she posts. One more thing to update everyone on. Today I was offered a boatwright position with a newly opened yacht company. I wasn't really looking for a job, but with the economy tanking, I decided it might be a good idea to have a steady pay check. The company is called E Sailing Yachts. The currently are building a 33' daysailer / racer. I believe they have built about 15 so far. Check out the web site, www.esailingyachts.com .They are also working on plans with Sparkman and Stevens to design and build a bigger racing / cruiser. Anyway, I am starting on Monday. This doesn't mean that I will no longer be available to build you a new cedar strip sailing dinghy. My evenings are still free for side work.

Slowly But Surely

Maggie:

Well we're trying to gain some momentum on the boat work after a spotty September and October. It's difficult to get going during this season of early darkness but our hope is to still have Me Voy in the water come Spring.

This weekend Travis got the cockpit and stern ready for paint. That hell awaits me now, with the grueling routine of two epoxy coats and two coats of paint while being squeezed, cramped, and sticky. The  aft part of the boat, which will serve as our "workroom" looks like hell right now, as you can see. That's the only part that needs the bilge still repaired and painted. 

I worked in the forward berth doing some  carpentry. I must say that was quite fun, even though Travis put some pressure on me to be "perfect". Its good that he has such high standards, coz I would propably rig something way too "home-made" for our classic look and move on.  Anyway I was hoping to actually finish the hold I was working on, but as with most boat work it takes way longer then you expect.

 I was pleased to see what  fantastic  job I did last year painting the forward holds, and was reminded again, as I climbed in and out of them, what great exercise I was getting. 

                                   

I'm thinking this weekend will be truly gratifying as the little cabinet I was working on will be finished, along with that nasty fiberglass job on the hull. And after that, I will no longer be able to put off the paint job that awaits. Wish me luck!