Passage door update 2

All five passage doors are hung in their openings and have two coats of urethane finish on them. Another fairly large job can be, for the most part, checked off of the list.

Because of having to build the boat in two sections ( hull/ wheel house @ salon), I cannot install the ceiling in the hallway and master cabin. Because I cannot finish the ceilings, there is no point in casing the doors, so that job will wait until the boat gets to the launch site.

I purchased a mortise lock set for the master cabin bathroom door. The lock set is solid brass with a brushed nickel finish so my hope is the lock set will handle corrosion. I installed the lock set and Im happy with how it looks and works. Installing a mortise lock set is a slow, time consuming job with very little room for error. I roughed in the mortise with a 5/8 forstner bit, then cleaned out the mortise with a chisel. I had to make a jig to hold the door plumb with my drill press, and other than cutting the mortise a 1/4" shallow, all went well. From start to finish, I had about 2 1/2 hours in installing the lock set with 1/2 of an hour consumed with building the jig for the drill press. The lock set has a dead bolt so we can lock the door from inside of our cabin. I think Ill have dead bolts on our cabin doors, and the bathroom doors, but will use lock sets without dead bolts for the other doors.

I brushed two coats of gloss urethane finish on the doors. Im not incredibly happy with the finish and I think Ill spray the final coat of finish on the doors. No matter how hard I try, I just cant seem to brush a good finish on my work. I think my problem is Im expecting too much out of two coats of finish. Next summer, when the boat is at the launch site and were putting the final finish coats on everything, Im hoping Ill get some help on getting a decent top coat on all the wood. For right now, everything is getting two coats for protection, and thats the story Im sticking with.

The next job is to get the bathroom completed. There is really not a huge amount of work left to finish that room, and I should be able to get it off of my list in a week or so. I have to install the exhaust fan, install the ceiling, fabricate the interior trim ring for the portlight, and install the portlight.

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Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2012 day 2

Saturday, the busiest day of the Festival.


I headed over to sign up for a rowing/sailing trip aboard the longboats. These longboats are replicas of the longboats used by Captain George Vancouver to explore the Puget Sound region in 1792. Ive been wanting to take a tour on them for years, but havent been able to until now because they were either full or there were too many other things to see and do. There are so many things to do at the festival there is no way to do them all.

These 26 replica longboats are used by the Northwest Maritime Center School Programs. They are each equipped with 8 rowing stations and 3 dipping lug sails.  They are used to teach youth teambuilding, problem solving, and maritime skills.  Teenagers attend intensive 2-5 day programs of discovery and exploration where they learn to row, sail, learn navigation, compass use, knots, marine biology, history and more.  They are also used in the Pacific Challenge.

Fortunately, we had several of these teenage students aboard to help us learn to row in sync and teach us how to tack the three sails on our dipping lug rig.

The first lesson we learned was "Crab!".  "Crab!" is what you yell out when the rowers get out of sync and get their oars all tangled up, which usually brings all four rowers on that side to a halt.

To prevent Crabs, one rower is designated as the pace setter.  From the rowers point of view, its the rower on their right and all the way up front. The rowers are all facing aft of course, so that would make him the aft-most port-side rower.  Anyway, the rower to his immediate left is supposed to row in sync with him.  The rest of the rowers are all supposed to keep in sync with the rower seated immediately in front of them.  Sounds simple, right?  We had lots of Crabs.  All it takes to create a Crab is for one rower to lose focus for a second or two.

Tacking the dipping lug rig involved a complex sequence of  tacking the halyard, the sail tack, tacking the sheets, lowering the sail and dipping the yard, that I still dont fully understand.  It was unlike anything Id ever done before and required about 3 or 4 people on each sail.  I loved it!  I wish I were a teenager so I could sign up for these programs.  I also have a new found respect for the crew of these longboats. After only a half hour of rowing, my hands were numb and my back started to ache.  Vancouvers explorers often rowed for hours upon hours exploring and charting the miles of coastlines here.  Heres a bit of video.  Its not very good.  These are working boats.  Youre always rowing or sailing, or trying to stay out of the way of other boats.  There is very little opportunity for filming.

More to come.

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Arctic Tern x 2

Though you will find a building library of small boat designs profiled here, the Voyage Ethereal is as much about the people as the boats. Through the years of writing these pages, Ive had the pleasure of meeting many interesting folks from all over the world, who have enriched my life more than they will ever know.

I wish I could meet all of you, face to face. Maybe someday.

Last fall, I had the pleasure of meeting first Bruce, then Andy, who were new friends to each other. We three had a common thread running through our lives, a quiet yet powerful vortex, on the Southern Salish Sea.
The thread became a quilt...

The friendship of these two men developed over time and distance, for the love of the Arctic Tern, a design from the board of Iain Oughtred. Ive not had the pleasure of sailing a Tern, but have sailed in company with one, enough to know that Iains description of this design as a "double ended flyer" is so true.

The story of how Bruce and Andy meet on a remote beach, a meeting which culminates in Andy building two Arctic Terns, intrigued me. So I petitioned them to tell the tale.

At a point in the first build, Andy amuses himself by naming the two identical boats Ted and Alice. Andy is a philosophical sort, a state of mind I appreciate, but the reference to the old Paul Mazursky film still eludes me. If I understand Andy, elusion frames his amusement.

So then, lets hear their story!...




TED and ALICE

BRUCE: I’m not normally a very trusting person, but it didn’t take me long to let down my guard with Andy. After rowing together for a day and exchanging e-mails about small boats over the course of a few months, I found his sincerity disarming. Even with Andy, the King of Craigslist, sending me "for sale" links to boat after boat, I didn’t find one that met my criteria. Soon an idea was hatched: Andy would build me an Arctic Tern, and while he was at it, he’d build himself one too.

ANDY: The Arctic Tern is a pretty ideal choice for a sail and oar vessel. Good rower, good sailing qualities, attractive and pointy at both ends. However, I needed another boat like I needed... I think everyone knows how that ends. But, what do needs have to do with it? Wooden boat enthusiasts occupy a highly delusional plane where needs and wants are barely distinguishable from one another. And this was a wonderful opportunity due to the combination of an interesting co-conspirator, the economy of scale and a pretty open schedule to build a couple of really cool boats.


BRUCE: I varied between feeling giddy with delight as I watched Andys construction photos come in and feeling completely paranoid that this was all some strange dream or scam. My wife, with her usual practicality, convinced me to get over it. Those pictures were of my boat and soon I did start to feel like a conspirator. The only thing missing was a secret code for this project and it didnt take long for Andy to create one.

ANDY: There were quite a few moments during the first stages of the build when I would find myself giggling due to the fact that I was building a boat for money. Ted and Alice, the provisional working names for the two boats, would be my eighth and ninth boats and during each previous build I always, always thought about building boats professionally. There is certainly an aura of romance to boat building, just as an aura exists around painting and sculpting... but, as with other artistic pursuits, the pot of money aint so full.

BRUCE:
"Hes calling them Ted and Alice," I said to my wife. "What do you suppose that means?"

"Ooh-ooh its from a movie," she replied, half questioning herself. Turns it out was from a 1969 movie that had a sense of humor. As we worked through the project, Andy indeed showed his humor, perhaps thats why he found getting paid to do it somewhat funny.

I kept wondering which boat Id get Ted or Alice? My friends all said to ask him for the one he was keeping for himself. How I could figure that out was beyond me...




ANDY:
From the beginning my thought was to let Bruce have the first boat off the molds - Ted - unless of course that one turned out poorly.







Being a carpenter and knowing many other carpenters and going to their houses exposes a common carpenter gift/flaw/whatever. Carpenters can’t finish things that are to be for themselves. Their houses are full of unfinished trim, missing cabinet doors, alarmingly large sections of tarp roofing… To let Bruce have my boat would likely have meant a boat with only one gunwale, half a tiller, missing hatches and any other number of incomplete tasks.

BRUCE:
With it established that Ted was mine and it coming rapidly to completion, I had to find a real name for the boat and a place to do the finish work on her. Finding the work space was easier than expected. My neighbors dusty garage was commandeered, junk removed, and transformed into a varnishing studio, sanding zone, and paint shed. Now as, for a name. Code name Ted was funny, but in the long run, I wanted something with a little more personal meaning. A long list of names was considered (Lutra, Gator, Lookfar), but none of them stuck. Fortunately, I had some time before the boat was to arrive, and many hours of sanding, painting, and sanding again, to contemplate the right name.

ANDY:
The beauty of a boat designed for sail and oar is the inherent simplicity- wind and muscle, food and barometric disagreements. No mechanical gizmos to rely upon or to curse at when they fail to operate correctly. And so, after a herculean final push of spar making, painting and finishing touches, whilst attempting to deliver Ted, my journey was cut short by the failure of a mechanical whatsit.

It’s around four hundred miles from my home to Portland where Bruce lives. After a hundred or so miles my vehicle decided it didn’t care to part with Ted and chose to not proceed any further south.

BRUCE::
Traveling toward the headwaters of the Columbia River from its lush lowlands is a mind warp. Everything you see gets browner, drier and rockier, except for the massive river. Its a beautiful, but long and slow drive. Gives a fellow a lot of time to think. Ive always thought sailboats look like some strange kind of bird and since this one rowed too, the name Row Bird got stuck in my mind, and soon in my sons mind too. When it came time to officially name her, I started to think of other names, but my son looked at me like I was crazy, so Row Bird it was.



And thats how Ted became Row Bird.

With any luck you can meet Ted and Alice (Row Bird and Sigmund) as well as Bruce and Andy at the 2013 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival!






 
In case you missed the links above, Bruce and Row Bird can be found sailing through Terrapin Tales and Andy strives steadily on Sigmund in Sage and Sea.

Thank you, gentlemen, for visiting Doryman!
 

Arctic Tern				Iain Oughtred
Length	Beam		Weight (kg)	Sail Area
18 2" - 5.52m	5 5" - 1.64m		110	102 sq ft - 9.48 sq m

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Sucia Small Boat Rendezvous 2014 Day 2

Saturday morning, after sleeping in a bit late, I fired up the Kelly Kettle while Tim did some writing.  Our Kelly Kettle, by the way, was a big hit.  Just about everyone who saw it was impressed with the speed it could boil water.  Several said they were going to get one for themselves.

There was no reason to hurry because we werent going anywhere.  This is what the perigee-syzygy  does to shallow Fossil Bay.

 

A -2.8 tide does provide an excellent opportunity to see parts of the island normally hidden from view.  Like Sucias treacherous reefs for example.

"Boaters should use caution when in the waters around this park. The word "sucia" is Spanish, meaning foul or dirty in a nautical sense. It refers to the numerous rocks and reefs which surround the island. These rocks and reefs have grounded and sunk numerous boats since European explorers first named the island in the 1790s. Boaters should check their charts frequently and pay particular attention to Clements Reef on the north shore of Sucia, as well as the entrances to Ewing Cove, Fox Cove, and Shallow Bay. There is a long reef which extends to the west of Little Sucia Island. Reefs also extend outward from Ev Henry Point, North and South Finger islands, and the Cluster Islands".

A couple years earlier I discovered what remained of one unfortunate boaters yacht, claimed by the reef at the entrance to Fox Cove.  This mornings low tide would be a great opportunity to see if the shipwreck was still there.

As I was about to set out for some shipwreck and fossil exploration, James McMullen appeared, looking for someone interested in going for a hike.  I told him about my plans and he agreed to join me.

We found the rusted, barnacle encrusted remains of the engine block and the boats windlass right where I remember seeing them years before.  They were straddled one on either side of the reef that obviously sank the boat.  We looked for evidence of exactly where the boat hit the reef but saw no obvious scratches or anything in the reef, but James found some other bits of metal nearby.

From there, we went on to explore the fossils on the southern cliffs of the point.  Every year they look a bit different as the cliffside slowly erodes away, replacing last years fossils with newly exposed ones.  Fossilized clams are by far the most common.  We didnt see anything else this year, but James discovered an unusually large one.

Later that afternoon, when the tide came in, Tim and I finally had an opportunity to explore Little Sucia Island.  This is a completely undeveloped little island just outside of Fox Cove.  It is surrounded by reefs and swift currents.  There is only one small patch of beach suitable to land a boat. The little bay on the North side looks inviting, but its a boulder field just below the surface. We anchored at the patch of beach and walked around the island.  The entire shoreline is covered with rocks and there are no trails, no campsites, and no indication that anyone has ever visited the island.  Quite nice, actually!

We returned to our campsite at Fossil Bay.  Tim went for another hike out to Ev Henry point.  As he came around a corner, he startled two bald eagles which took flight only a few feet from him. He said he could hear the wind whistling through their feathers and it scared the crap out of him!  Tim also came across a pile of white feathers, apparently the remains of a seagull eaten by something.  The park ranger we talked to later said it was probably a hawk.

Later that afternoon was Wine and Cheese night, a visit from my fishing buddy Ray, followed by an evening around the campfire with drinks and music.

Good times.

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Mahogany Decked Seats Part 2

After all the mahogany decking was laid the next task was to apply caulking to the seams. There are two ways this can be done.

The traditional way is to apply caulking to the seams, wait for it to cure, and then sand the entire deck smooth. This method sounds easy but there were some uncertainties. I have never done a laid deck before. I was concerned about caulk getting deep into the grain of the wood and then requiring excessive sanding to get it all out. This is a concern because the hull and the bulkheads limit access to sanders. I also didnt know how easy or difficult the caulking would be to sand.

The other way is to mask the deck, caulk the seams, smooth the caulk, remove the tape, and do a final finish sanding. Although there are more steps involved, I felt more comfortable with this method.

Masking

After giving the decking a thorough sanding I applied masking tape to the entire deck and everything else that I didnt want black goop on. I bought two large rolls of masking tape just in case I needed more than one roll. I nearly ran out.

Trimming

After the tape was applied, I used a single edged razor blade to trim the tape away from all the seams.

Trimming done

Apply and spread caulking


Next I pumped Sikaflex into the seams. I needed 13 tubes of caulk. It really pays to have a good caulking gun for a job of this magnitude. I had to replace my cheap gun half way through. My hand is still sore a week later.

Pulling tape

When the tape is pulled is important. I used the LOT (Long Open Time) formula of Sikaflex which takes about 5-7 days to cure. Before I caulked the boat, I made a test piece to see how the caulk behaved after each day of curing. I determined that the best time to remove the tape is 24 hours after application of the caulk. If you try to pull the tape before then, the caulk will make a mess by leaving residue on the paint. If you wait beyond 24 hours the tape will be more difficult to remove. The caulk will be be too firm and the tape will tear rather than cutting the caulk.

Sanding

My test also revealed that sanding must wait until the Sikaflex has cured for at least 4 days. Before then it is too soft. Attempting to sand it will tear out chunks of caulk from the seams.

Lumps

Lumps like this were easily sanded off after the caulk had cured for 4 days.

Finish Sanding

Sanding was not difficult and went very well. If it wasnt for the access issues with the bulkheads and hull, I think method one would have been a better way to go.

 

Done sanding and ready for oil

Applying Teak Oil

I have to apply 5-6 more coats of oil, but after only one coat I couldnt be more pleased with the results!

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Guest cabin dressing room update 2

The last few weeks have found me getting the Carver boat ready for its new owner so not much has been getting done on the boat build. Now that the carver is finished and out of the shop, Im back working on the boat build.

I received the new sink so I was able to complete the installation of the top, the sink, and the faucet. All the cabin plumbing connections are now complete. If I had the pressure pump and a couple of days work, Id be able to use the sinks.

I installed a new valve for the through hull fitting under the guest cabin sink. The valve I had originally installed was a cheap gate valve that was probably doomed for failure. I installed a more corrosion resistant ball valve in place of the gate valve and hopefully saved myself a future headache. I had read on another forum that gate valves have no place on boats, and I agree.

The through hull fitting under this sink is the only through hull fitting for the cabins sinks and shower. This through hull fitting is a stainless steel piece of pipe, welded in to the hull that is threaded on the inboard end. The ball valve threads on to the pipe, and that is my basic through hull fitting. If gray water needs to be held, the red handled ball valve is shut, the black handled ball valve is opened, and the sump pump selector valve is moved to the holding tank position, then all the gray water goes to the holding tank. If we can discharge gray water, the red handled ball valve is opened, the black handled ball valve is closed, and the sump selector valve is moved to the discharge position so all gray water is either pumped or gravity flow overboard.

The galley sink, the clothes washing machine, and the half bath above will have another holding tank and one through hull fitting to deal with that gray water.

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