Getting on with things

Boat building has stalled in the last few weeks as I realize that the raising of each frame will bring the project one step closer to completion or calamity. At this point, Im not sure which it is going to be and am thus reveling in a rather blissful ignorance. When the frames do go up next week (!), I will know once and for all whether Luna will be a beauty or a god-awful mess. The quality of the lofting job I did over a year ago will be put to the test when I can use a batten to check the three-dimensional curvature of the chine and sheer.

The last couple of days have seen me drinking a lot of wine, eating a lot of tamales, avoiding the boat shop,and over-analyzing each step Ive taken to get to this point. For each part of the project there were setbacks and things that didnt turn out quite like Id imagined (these lessons have been mentally filed under "The Next Boat"). After spending a lot of time before each new step thinking about what could go wrong, I realized that the sooner I could deal with what went wrong, the better. Id stall before each new venture (just as Im stalling now), think about various outcomes and contingencies, and ultimately had to decide to just do it. Just take a chainsaw to that keel piece you spent a week in the hot sun laminating. Just run a Skillsaw down the side of  keel. Just buy that planking even if you arent sure itll wrap around the hull. Just use that adhesive even if its not proven. Just glue this piece on that piece and bolt it to this piece.

Just build the boat.
 

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Getting ready for the chine

      My little brother came in yesterday, and he, Ramon, and I spent the afternoon at the boat shop ripping 8"x2" rough-sawn oak into 8"x1" halves with my cheap little Harbor Freight table saw. Ill be using these for the chine lamination after running them through the thickness planer. 
      Lots of time on this build has been spent trying to morph the wood I have into the wood I want. First, for the keel I bought construction-grade Southern yellow pine which promptly warped. Ramon and I used all manner of clamp configurations to get that stuff to laminate up into semi-straight pieces. Then, I milled the frame lumber from rough sawn white oak. Ripping the full oak pieces thickness-wise has been our toughest challenge yet. My table saw doesnt quite cut through half of the 8" width so we today we ran the pieces through on each side three times so we wouldnt blow a fuse (though we did manage switch the breaker multiple times anyway) and then ran a Sawzall down the middle to finally split the thing. Overall, though, we had a great day and worked off the beer and sushi from last night.

Boatbuilding in Hindsight:
1. Pay the little bit extra to have the wood milled.
2. Get a bandsaw.
3. Id really like to have some nicer power tools for the next build, but I certainly dont regret going with the cheap stuff the first time around (particularly because my shop is so exposed to the elements).

Here the frames are squared and braced from the outside. Ill add bracing on the inside before laminating the chine, then remove the exterior bracing to install the stringers.

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Its Getting Real Now

Final preparations are now underway for the European trip.  The dogs have had their rabies jabs and their pet passport is in process.  I have booked the ferry.  The transport is booked and the cranes both ends are also booked. I am talking to home insurance companies about extended periods away from home cover.  Most only allow less than 60 consecutive days away.  My current one is 45 days which is woefully short.

So dear readers, what should I call the next blog?  Currently I have Avalon Afloat and have only dabbled with it as blogging UK waterways has been brilliantly and well and truly covered by other bloggers such as my friends Sue and Vic, Jill and Graham, Leslie and Joe to name a few.  All of these friends have many more links to other UK waterways blogs.

So what would you (shall I) call the new touring blog?

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