Doing better

I managed to slow the leak in the garboard with a bit of cotton in the split so the rest of the weeping is now manageable. The butt blocks on the third plank down are still leaking so they’ll get attended to when Sjogin’s hauled to fit the rudder. That should get her ready for the ice season. (Touch wood!)

Speaking of the rudder, there’s been substantial progress with the fairing just about done and the cheeks chamfered. Looks like painting may start soon after the riveting is done.


Cheeks and clamps
Gluing the white oak cheeks to the plywood blade. The spacer at the top is also white oak. I’ll finish the top in a simple fashion for now. Perhaps when/if we get iced in the rudder can be pulled and turned over to Jeff Reid for a bit of carving.


Rivets next
Finished shaping and fairing. Riveting is next and then painting. (And filling in the misses with the hammer.) The plywood will be saturated with epoxy and painted as well. I still need to design and fashion a new tiller.


Just rigged
Once again swimming against the tide as Sjogin’s mast is stepped while all others are doing the opposite.


Ed Lowe
Slipmate Ed Lowe and a loud gull. Ed’s well into his 90’s and still messing about with boats. Hope I have another 30 years of this.


First Sizzle!
First sizzle of the season on board this leaky old tub. Certainly makes it all worthwhile. Cheers!


Bottom work for Ghost
Ghost has been flipped and is in the shop for a bottom fairing. Paul and Jeff will be chasing the bumps I left almost twenty years ago. Very cool to see how some of my work held up. One of my first jobs was making the oak skeg. Absent some deep checking, it’s doing fine.


Christmas Party at Ourhouse
A fuzzy but happy pic of the Christmas Party at Ourhouse. Brisk evening which made the fire most welcome.


Tis the Season
Best of the Season to you and yours dear reader.

Somehow the weeks go by between posts and I can feel refresh keys wearing out. I’ll try to keep the Posts more timely next year. You can always see new pics on Flickr as that page is updated frequently.

8 thoughts on “Doing better”

  1. Good to hear from you again, Russ. Sjogin’s in her winter position, I see.
    I can smell that sizzle and feel the warmth of the stove from here. Merry Christmas to you and Julia!

  2. Glad you are back and hoping you stick to your resolution of more frequent posts. that rudder is really good looking. did you do the wood work? impressive. how about some pics of the new office complex being erected at Beaton’s. also how does one flip an A cat?

  3. I wish I’d known you were going to make a new tiller. I’ve got a nicely curved balk of honey locust i could have brought you in October during at trip south. Too heavy and awkward to ship.

  4. Thanks and the best of the season to you all. I appreciate your comments.

    @Peter Yes it’s my work. I guess my apprenticeship at Beaton’s paid dividends. Paul Smith deserves much credit for guiding me through the process.

    @John Ed still drives the Porche in season.

    @Dave Stop by the next time even without wood.

    Russ

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