Rich mahogany??

Wow!  Time flies when we don’t think we have anything to report on the progress of the boat in the woods.  Today, we decided we had enough to share with our faithful readers – primarily my mom who asks daily why we haven’t written lately.  

I estimate at least 500 holes were drilled and filled with epoxy resin to strengthen the entire wood floor of the stern, which had become soft in some areas due to water damage

As I contemplate where to start I find myself chuckling.  If there was a video or audio recording of us in the garage at work, or more importantly, of what we say, you would be either convinced that we are crazy or you would be rolling on the floor in laughter – No other emotion would apply. I believe that Emily and I could be more entertaining than those Duck Dynasty guys (yes, our boat currently looks like something they could use on their show). However, they couldn’t pay us enough to be seen out on the water in it right now.

Emily has been busy resining the back of the boat, readying it for the dry fit of our newly fabricated transom.  The transom has been the project that has kept us from adding to our blog.  It just seemed to take forever to cut, fit, cut again, fit again, cut again, fit again…  You get the picture.  After many cuts, trims, and so on, we have laminated our transom and Emily dry fit it this morning.  Guess what?  It fits!  Astonishing as that may be to both of us. Yes, we have some trimming to do, but I view our transom as our most major feat of the entire project – especially since the boat has been looking more like a kayak drydock for the past 4 weeks, than something of recreation.  Whew! It didn’t fall apart!

Kayleen cutting our transom template

While Emily was dry fitting the transom, I was busy running errands including the search for some four-quarter mahogany for a brace we wanted to build to add some structural support to our transom.  The search in Kitsap County was for naught. Not a big surprise.

Through high winds and pressure washing force rains, Emily and I trudged to Edensaw Woods in Port Townsend to visit our new friend, Lou.  While they didn’t have four-quarter Maranti mahogany, they did have five-quarter.  We purchased 15 board feet of rough sawn Maranti mahogany for the transom brace. We laughed as we selected our “rich mahogany” boards and how we would need to buy a leather scented air freshener and smoke cigars for the Anchorman fans in our readership. Lou always looks at us with skepticism. We look forward to our next trip to dazzle him with our surprising knowledge façade.

Finally!!! The transom has been cut and resined together. 

As we departed our dear friends at Edensaw (who probably think we are the most unlikely people to sound like we know what we are doing), we realized that this project is not so much about the boat but it is a project about us – individually.  I know I grow each day as never in my wildest dreams did I foresee myself rebuilding a boat.  I realize that I am happier when I am a learner, no matter what my age. This is a drive that I hope I never lose. As for Emily, she just seems to know what she is doing, but  I think that she is learning patience, patience with me.  For that I am thankful.

Grace, our mascot is tired of the sanding and sawing noises. She just wants a boat ride already!

So…we have our wood, it needs to be planed, joined, and installed to support our transom.  This truly is a learning experience that brings frustration but brings even more laughter!  Laugh on!