Hibernation?

Last week, Doryman spoke of uncharacteristically cold weather in Oregon. Over the weekend, Michigan's characteristically cold winter weather arrived. Single-digit temperatures accompanied by double-digit winds provide the cold and turned the shop into a freezer. No significant boat work in the shop for awhile.

But hibernation? No, not really. There are indoor tasks and projects enough to keep me busy:

• The SailRite kit for the mizzen sail awaits; the sewing machine will soon be put to work.
• Plastic sheeting will be used to create a sanding/grinding booth in the basement for shaping the centerboard and rudder blade.
• Internet shopping for a trailer, an outboard and sailboat hardware will certainly keep me busy throughout these cold weeks of winter.
• And an assortment of crafty wood projects (picture frames, napkin rings and coasters) in need of sanding and finishing.

Progress on these projects will be forthcoming...

Task: Remove Interior Motor Mount

When I built the frames, I intended to build and use the motor-well as designed. However, after assembling the hull I read about the experiences of other Pathfinder builders who chose to use a transom mounted motor mount. Eliminating the motor-well would simplify building the hull - no need to cut another hole in the bottom of the boat! I decided to not build the motor-well. Of course that meant removing the motor-well from F-6A (and adding a doubler to the transom).

Since the space is limited and there is little room to work a saw - any saw - removing the motor mount was a little finicky. With a little patience and perseverance the piece was removed and now F-6A is symmetrical!

I still have to do a bit of sanding to clean up the frame and the seat-front 'extensions' between F-6A and the transom need to be installed.

Heat Lamps and Warming Tents

Getting back into the shop after the holidays for some boat work, I was scratching my head wondering what to do about the temperatures in the shop. While it isn't bitter cold yet - mostly in the 20s with some lows in the teens - it isn't very warm in the shop either: mid-30s. Since there is still a LOT of work left to be done, I want to be able to work through the winter. So, while checking old posts and a few photos, I was reminded of what I did last winter: Warming Tents (focused on the particular current glue-up]!

This year I've added a heat lamp to last year's collection of work lights and draped black plastic over the work area (instead of a hard-frame structure). Here, the warming light and plastic are in place keeping today's epoxy warm and the heat lamp is clamped in place to pre-warm the next section of the hull.

The sequence that is working for me is:

• Warm the resin and hardener in a warming box (using a 75W bulb)
• Pre-warm the section of the hull (between two frames) to be worked with the heat lamp and cover with black plastic
• Apply the epoxy;
• Keep the section warm with a 40W warming light and black plastic.

This sequence allows me to work up to two sections of the interior per day. The 250W heat lamp warms the hull section to about 70° in the morning and the 40W warming lamp and plastic maintains a temperature of 60° under the plastic. By the next day the epoxy is cured enough for me to move on to the next section. I may have to vary things a bit when I begin painting.

Oh, yes… Happy New Year to one and all!

Diversions (Updated)

Interior sanding and epoxy work continues. Temperatures have been cooperating enough - aided by the plastic weather coverings tacked up on the windows - to allow epoxy work.

The band-saw is back in operation with a new capacitor. I'm sure it is just wishful thinking, but the motor seems to be working better than ever. Of course, cleaning the motor and blowing out a LOT of sawdust probably helped.

Getting the band-saw working meant I had to test it… but just cutting scraps of wood didn't make sense, might as well cut something for Gardens. Checking the plans, I decided to work on the mast steps (both main and mizzen) and the boomkin mount. So, after figuring out what I needed and checking my wood supply, I cut out the pieces for the boomkin mount. (Photo in the morning as the camera is not available tonight.)

The boomkin mount dry-fitted. The base was cut from a block of laminated Douglas fir using the band-saw and planer to mill it to size. A bench-top sander worked to bevel the top corners. A scroll saw was used to cut the 3/8" meranti ply side pieces. The pin holes are over-sized. They will be filled with epoxy and re-drilled for the pin attaching the boomkin in place. More sanding, epoxy and finish work to do on this component. Working on these small bits is a nice diversion from the monotony of sanding.

A View From Astern

Plenty of sanding and epoxy work (and not much else) going on…

Actually, there is more going on - it just isn't visible. I am writing out lists of what needs to be done (or what I think needs to be done) this winter. Big-picture items include the bunk flats, the cockpit seats and the decking. Heck, that's it! That's all I have to do before turning the boat to fair and paint the bottom… Of course, there is a lot of detail and fiddly work to be done before those big-picture items are completed. Then, too, I have my list of tasks to do inside when winter really sets in. Pretty soon, though, I'll need to figure out how to support the hull while I bumble around working on the interior - I don't want to capsize Gardens in the shop!

The view from astern:

…which is an interesting perspective. I like it. I think I'll use this angle (among others) as the interior work progresses.

Tingles... and Sanding

Thanksgiving Day was absolutely beautiful with sunshiny skies and temperatures in the low 60s. It was a perfect day to work on Gardens and It was also a perfect day for visiting with family and friends. Family and friends won out over boat work.

Last night the weather changed - wind, rain, lightning and thunder in the evening followed by dropping temperatures and more wind in the early morning hours. Snow flurries have been blowing around off and on all day. Despite the dismal conditions outside, I was able to get some work done on Gardens.

The nine remaining 'tingles' (reinforcing/backing strips aka butt straps spanning the joins between pieces of planking) were cut and installed today. The tingles are not difficult to cut, fit and install so this really isn't much to report - just another of the small but necessary steps to take toward completion.

Sanding continues...

Thoughts and an Idea

It is the night before Thanksgiving, pies are baked, turkey is thawed, the house is clean and company won't arrive until tomorrow.

No new progress on Gardens to report - sanding is sanding and not very exciting at that - but I have been thinking about upcoming steps and stages in the building process. One of those steps is to install the bottom of the anchor well. Fine, I will do that because I suspect that piece of plywood adds to the strength of the bow. But I have begun to wonder just how functional that anchor well is for storing AND using ground tackle.

The anchor well is forward of the mast and well forward of the cockpit. It seems - and I haven't really tried that reach yet or even asked for comments based on experience - the anchor well is too far out of reach to be practical and, perhaps, a bit small to boot.

So, I am contemplating foregoing the anchor well - and its necessary deck cut-out - for a cockpit anchor storage/deployment//retrieval set-up. This will, for the time being, eliminate the deck cut-out and, as a result, simplify the building process. Installing the anchor well bottom now means I can always modify things if a future need arises.

Probably won't get much boat work done tomorrow, but Friday should be a good day in the shop.

Happy Thanksgiving!