Back In The Saddle Knee Update

I spoke to my other neighbor today.  She said she heard the explosion as well, in fact she said she felt it as well.

Its been a little de-motivating to be honest, but on the upside its pretty much agreed that I was very lucky not to have been injured.  I agree.

I decided to console myself with setting out the instrument and control panel and the steering pump.  This is the rough draft.

I have also drawn up and sent of for pressing the lids that will cover the lockers on the stern.  Hopefully I will get them next week.  I have a canopy maker coming over on Monday to start templating for the stern pram hood.

Finally the knee.  Ive had a long term injury to my knee from a torn cruciate ligament.  For 20 + years it has been a dull ache, which from time to time flares up especially after skiing.

Well apart form having a sizable dent in my knee cap and a very large bruise my knee actually feels better.  So hopefully when the bruising and swelling goes down it might be mended.  Fingers crossed.

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In the Groove

I filled the gaps on my sample board with white pigmented and thickened epoxy to see how it will look and to practice the application. After using blue tape to tape off the boards, I mixed a 5 pump batch of epoxy. A 1/2 tsp. of white pigment was mixed in and then a few spoonfuls of white silica to thicken. Then the batch was loaded into a blank caulking tube, the nozzle cut and I pumped the goo into the gaps.

The mixture was a little soupy and I ended up squeegeeing the excess off. After cure there were a couple of low spots that might be from a void underneath and the goo slumped into the void. Dunno, but overall it looks good. It definately was good to practice and have an idea what Im going to do for real on the boat when the time comes for that step.

The pictures are of the sample board sitting on the bow of the boat.

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Love Him or Not Book Review

 

Capt. Larry Simns has probably had some effect on your life if you are in any part of the seafood industry, if you like to fish, if you are concerned with water quality, if you love to eat seafood, if you live or work near the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, are a politician in the Maryland State House, or for a variety of other reasons. If you dont know his name, or the only thing that you do know about him is his name, then you should read this book.

In the newly released The Best of Times on The Chesapeake Bay, An Account of a Rock Hall Waterman, Capt. Larry Simns (the n is silent), and co-author Robert L. Rich, Jr. tell the story of how he grew up in the small harbor town of Rock Hall on Marylands Eastern Shore. He began his education in seafood harvesting at six years old, he went through brutal but valuable apprenticeship with seasoned and unforgiving Captains in his teens and he grew to become a respected Captain and seafood business owner in young adulthood. He recounts how he reluctantly found his voice as he began his rise within local groups of watermen to become a legendary advocate for them and the Chesapeake Bay in response to critical declines in seafood populations in the early 1970s. In his 40 years as President of the Maryland Watermens Association, he was not only recognized for his work by professionals with interests in the fisheries from Maine to Alaska and the Gulf Coast, he also worked with Senators, Governors and U.S. Presidents.

If you spend any time with a waterman,it would be difficult not to notice that theirs are very tough jobs. Many of our neighbors start their day at 3:00am. They work when its 20 degrees outside. They work when its 100 degrees outside. The brutal apprenticeship that Capt. Larry went through was important for learning to live in an environment that might be idyllic one moment and potentially deadly the next. There are some very exciting moments in the book. In fact, Capt. Larry went through more than one situation where he almost didnt survive.

 

He clearly explains how various finfish, oysters and crabs were harvested, having experience with pretty much every method used. He explains how "The Bay" changed after Hurricane Agnes. A resulting drop in seafood harvests coincided. Other factors including pollution from other sources led him to the chain of events that made him the powerful advocate he is. He discusses how he worked with others from various disciplines including biologists, environmentalists, and others to create policies that were not always popular. An amazing journey for a waterman from Rock Hall, Maryland.

 

Theres a whole lot more here and I highly recommend this book. Most of the chapters are brief, but full of information. It provides an education about the Chesapeake Bay, Eastern Shore life, the history of its watermen, issues surrounding its protection and much more. One gets the sense that, knowing he wont be around forever, he would like for this book to help pass critical information to those for whom stewardship of the Chesapeake and the life within it will pass. We should pay attention.

 

For more information go to: 

http://www.thebestoftimesonthechesapeakebay.com/

Book Details

The Best of Times on The Chesapeake Bay, An Account of a Rock Hall Waterman

Lived by Captain Lawrence William Simns
Written by Robert L. Rich, Jr.
Illustrated by Ann Crane Harlan.

ISBN: 9780764342776Soft Cover 288 Pages 42 illustrations

 

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Right whales in Canadian waters

Having a wonderful time out here-- stormy today but it has let up a bit. Weve documented a lot of right whales these past few days. I need to get the scoop on posting right whale photos-- we are under a permit and I need to figure out how all of that works.

More details at my NOAA blog.

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Other Things Ive Been Doing In The Background

If you read back over the blog you will see several "more on that later" type comments recently.

The first of these is the instrument panel.  This is how it looked first off.

I really wasnt happy with this so I set about improving it.  First to do was remove all the instruments and to cut out a hole without cutting through any wires.

Then a new mounting board made from a composite board with a brushed stainless finish.

After which a 6mm packing frame was attached to give some recess to the panel, which was then refitted behind the hole and a nice recess oak frame made to dress it. 

I think this looks a whole lot better.  It is now IMO part of the decor not just a bunch of instruments stuck on a board.

I have also finished the hatch, well almost.  It still needs a tiny bit of paint on the inside.  First it was insulated with Celotex then clad out with the same floor laminate as I have used for the rest of the boat roof.

I have also finished the rear door and trimmed them with oak and polished with Briwax.  Again I have used floor laminate to complete the entrance decor.

All the parts needed for the bed base are now on order.  The company that made the furniture will also make finished panels to any reasonable size and finish them as required.  The bed will be a lift up one. 

Also the kitchen is pretty much finished.  I still need the breakfast bar made but my brother is rammed with work ATM because everyone wants their granite worktops done now before Christmas.  When I have time I will clear down the kitchen and photograph it.

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Dressing up The Annie Buck in The Eye of The Storm

Phase II of the Annie Bucks change over from her summer outfit to her winter outfit occurred as two incredible storms were on our doorstep: Hurricane Sandy (otherwise known as Frankenstorm) and the 2012 Presidential Elections. As I write this, the hurricane is bearing down on us, so if my writing seems a bit off, its because Ive got my mind in a few different places. This story is about yesterday and as I write it I dont know what the outcome of today will be...

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David pointing to the winch on the boom. The mast is the pole
with the "whiskers".

It has to be done when it has to be done and on the day the rain bands were arriving in advance of Hurricane Sandy, it was necessary to install the mast and boom used for oyster dredging into the Annie Buck to be ready in time for the season.
 

About a month ago, I wrote about the removal of her canopy, a coordinated task involving the efforts of a number of Watermen and neighbors. This is a similar type of task. The mast is made of steel and, although I dont know exactly what it weighs, it weighs at least several hundred pounds. It is the long pole with the “whiskers”, which are steps to climb to its top for whatever maintenance might be required. The Boom is made from aluminum and it weighs somewhat less, but the winch attached to it adds a lot of pounds.

The boom comes out of the truck first.

All of the work was again supervised by“Keeper”, who knows all corners of the boat. Our part starts when we meet David at his truck, where he has somehow managed to load both mast and boom. They are precariously balanced, the weight bolstered by some people sitting on the truck-cab ends as if on a see-saw. The trip to the boat is about 500 yards and uneventful.

The mast has to be installed first, but the boom is on top, and so it is the first off the truck. It is placed out of the way, as much as it can be, on the dock.

 

The mast is all steel and quite heavy.

As it was when we removed the canopy, you find that its a long distance from the decks of the boat to the floor, especially when you are carrying something heavy and even more so when there is a momentum to the object being carried, because of all of the people involved. Everyone has to be quick and careful and to be aware that if you are at the wrong part of the dock, or boat, it is easy to step off onto nothing and end up in the water.

Board being bolted to mast bottom.

The bottom of the mast is attached to a board which is bolted to the floor just behind the pilot house. That board is bolted to the mast first and then the mast is brought upright. There is a bit of finagling to get the bolt holes in the board to line up with those in the floor. When the holes are aligned, lag bolts are set in, but the mast is by no means secured.

Raising the mast.

What really controls the stability of the mast are the various lines running from the top of the mast to the bow of the boat and to points near the sheer line in the forward half of the boat. These lines are made of “wire rope” and their tension is controlled by long turnbuckles.

Securing the mast.

 

After the mast is in place, the boom is brought aboard and attached to its mounting point by a very sturdy assembly made of stainless steel. Of course, as we are doing all of this, there is a wall-like line of clouds in the SouthEast sky; probably the first part of Sandy... 

???

Bringing the boom aboard.

 

The boom is not raised yet to its normal spot. It doesnt need to be today. Its time for everyone to go and batten down the hatches at home.

I just want to say that its clear as I write this, that  a lot of people that we know and love are going to be hit hard by this one. I hope that everyone fares well in Hurricane Sandy...

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Boat Break Austin in Bloom

It is just past Mothers Day and Rio Grande City is already ablaze with daily highs over 100 degrees, white-hot skies, and a dry wind that blankets everything in dust. Here on the ranch, calves are failing to thrive, and the ranch owner has sold many of his cattle at auction. My lovely crimson mandevillas turn pale pink after a couple of days in the sun, and everything else is just a crunchy, grayish brown. Even my lines plan blueprints, tacked onto my workbench in full shade, have aged 50 years.

I was beginning to feel like I was living in Cormac McCarthys “The Road,” so last weekend, Ramon and I escaped this post-apocalyptic landscape to Austin, Texas. I wasnt after live music, food (although something not fried and not filled with meat sounded awfully good), or night life. This Iowan wanted to see something, anything green. We poked through gardens anywhere we could find them-- in neighborhoods, restaurants, parks, and the university. It was wonderful.

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Something Really Interesting in Ohio

Weve done shows all over the US. During those times were pretty busy and dont always get to see whats going on around us. One state that we hadnt had much chance to explore is Ohio. Recently, we went to see our friends, Jim and Linda, who live there and they gave us a great tour.

Jim likes to be a bit mysterious, and so he didnt tell us where we were going as he was driving us around the area. We saw some beautiful countryside, some of Lake Erie, Amish country and had some excellent ice cream. It was a fine tour.

As model makers, he was right on when he took us to a place that I was previously unaware of and I imagine that most people unfamiliar with the area also dont know about.

Its called Warthers, or more formally Warther Cutlery and they make outstanding knives, primarily for the kitchen and dining room, but also for carving. Anyone that enjoys any kind of model making or wood carving should make a visit to this place in Dover, Ohio. I dont want to downplay the importance of their knives, but there is something there that I think everyone should see and that is the collection of steam locomotives and trains, intricately carved from Ebony, Walnut, Mother of Pearl and Ivory....so add any and all train buffs to the list of those who will love this place!
The founder of the cutlery company, Ernest “Mooney” Warther lived an almost fairy-tale story, finding a small pocket knife in a field, meeting a man who caused him to discover a method of carving a small pair of pliers from a single strip of wood, working in the steel mills and gaining the knowledge required to make outstanding knives as he grew into a world class carver. If I remember the story correctly, his carved models were displayed at a Worlds Fair, The White House and Grand Central Station.

I cant do justice in a description here, but his descendents, who still run the museum and cutlery company certainly do. Its very interesting and a lot of fun.

I must say, and this is from a professional model makers perspective, that his carved trains are exquisite, with their thousands of beautiful parts. Any model maker or carver is going to learn things simply by seeing his works. Whether you currently care about models or not, you cannot help but be impressed. Of course, if you like things of quality, their knives alone are truly worth checking out. Consider that the White House Food Service uses them. For more information about the musuem and Warther Cutlery go to http://warthers.com

If youve been to my blog before, you may remember that I am a firm believer that model makers, as with any other artist, should sign their works. This is because, in my opinion, all too often beautiful models are found in the world and there is no way to know who the artist was. I am thrilled to know that this artist; Ernest “Mooney” Warther is recognized for the contributions that he made to the world of modeling, the world of carving and for his contributions to the history of the railroads.

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Doing A Doughnut In My Boat

You may recall I decided to make a Shilling rudder.

This short video shows what it can do.

Enjoy. Sorry about the reflection

It works as you can see and Im glad I went to the extra effort.

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