Due to the copious
amount of downtime that my job has granted me over the holiday season, I find
myself exceptionally antsy to spend countless hours scrapping off sheets of
undoubtedly lead based paint from the bottom of the boat (frankly, I feel more
like an Egyptologist chipping away at an anthropological dig than anything else
at this point - I am just waiting for the day when the wood grain that I am so
fervidly sanding towards finds light, reveling strange hieroglyphics of owners
past).
Anyways, with Christmas
come and gone, and the temperature no longer Arctic (in all honesty, nothing is
worse than frozen fingers. Just saying), progress might be had yet! So
with that, here is a quick recap:
- The transom is
attached, fiber glassed in place, and feels rock solid (well, it passed my body
weight hanging off of the back of it at least). When the boat is flipped back
over, we'll beef it up a bit more by framing it in with brackets.
- A huge shift in the
momentum of this project occurred when a group of friendly faces helped us flip
the old boat over. Now, I can hear what you're thinking, "why on Earth
would you need to do something like that?!" I get it, it seems a bit
counter productive and perhaps a bit insane, but access to the bottom of the
boat is crucial for the completion of this project. With it flipped, we have an
easy gateway to sanding, fiber glassing, and above all, GRAVITY! It really
works wonders - you should try it!
 |
| Flipping in progress |
- Kayleen had carpal
tunnel surgery a few months ago, sidelining her to the position of supervisor.
From her texts, it sounds like she is eager to grab a sander and join the ranks
once again.
In conclusion, I will leave you with a few Q&A that have been asked by a handful of you.
Q: Why are you
sanding the bottom of the boat?
A: Simple. Would you
paint over a paint flaked wall? Of course not! By sanding down to bare wood, we
are revealing any imperfections (e.g. rot, dings, hidden problem areas, etc.),
and giving ourselves a smooth foundation to build upon.
Q: Why are you
fiberglassing the bottom of the boat?
A: Not that Kayleen and
I are interested in selling the boat, but by fiber glassing we are doing two
things: 1.) Insuring that the boat is as stable and sturdy as possible (the
wood is old and too much flex can be a bad, bad thing), and 2.) Insuring that a
solid resale price can be secured through proper restoration procedures (no
cutting corners here!).
 |
| We think we've counted at least 11 layers of paint on the bottom, but who really knows at this point |
Q: I'm worried that you
guys are going to sink to your deaths once the boat is completed:
A: Thanks to my parent’s
proactive approach via YMCA swimming lessons when I was young, and fashionable
life jackets, I'm sure we'll make it out just fine. But just incase, perhaps we
should sell tickets to watch the day we launch? Proceeds can go towards the
motor fund, or perhaps updating our CPR certification.
