I suppose my suggestion here is too late. Just like when you buy a new shirt and the label has fine print that you should experiment with cleaning materials on a small unobtrusive area before washing, before you start the caulking process on the below the waterline areas, practice, practice, practice! on some out of the way deck planking 'til you get the feel of the cotton going in just right! I hope it is going well with you!
Not too late and much appreciated Bob! We will do the above water Grey stripe area (in her photo) above water prior to the new planking. The new work has much tighter seams; such a process, as Switter said, this was figured out centuries ago and we still do it, unique people that we are....
Ah, with boat projects, the timelines must be raised by a magnitude, it seems. I feel for you. The last haul out we told the boatyard - 3 days, just a quick paint job and a minor repair. Well, it was three weeks. They seemed interminable, but eventually we were in the water again. Your project is massive, requires a different order of special skill and time investment. But your photos show progress and it is great to see. I hope you are in South America soon :-)
As we are on the cusp of the greatest economic and technological surge that the world has ever seen...this is a great reminder to embrace a slower time. We are going to have more latitude and liberty to explore that which we want…and it is a great example in that you are not surging forward…but rather looking back. Craftsmanship, careful labor and preserving history. Indeed, a worthy effort.
While I too eschew much of today's technology, wear handcrafted boots, carry a revolver in a leather holster (unless I have to go to the city) and abhor cars with only two pedals...you have taken it to another level. Using your hands to chalk a boat is not a chore for the meek.
A wooden boat is a living thing, with its own character, quirks and personality.
She appreciates the loving care that you are giving her...and when she is afloat again, she will welcome you quickly for your efforts.
She will shift, sway and as only a sailor knows, know when she embraces you.
Living and working slowly is unusual in this day and ago of, as you say, surges...and it is treating me well even if it was NOT an easy lesson. Take a look at my post, when another reader reminded me, bluntly, to settle down. It's entitled IT'S NOT THE DESTINATION.
And the soul? Hoping that as we travel after this we can charter and allow more people to experience that. I now have my Captain's license and we should be welcoming folks aboard soon enough! Thank you, Bill, for this and your comment below. That same phrase jumped out at me. J
I feel this, Janice, and respect the respect you and Steve have for this vessel, her history, and the waters that could take her away in an instant with nary a moment of guilt.
I'm reminded of a personal realization I had early on in my learning curve as the partner of a craftsman. "Whatever he offers as an estimate for the time it will take to complete a project: Double it." Most times that has still proved to be an underestimation, but at least it got me closer to reality.
You're making progress, and you're doing careful work. That's really something.
Nary a moment, nary a recognition, such power she has. You, too, have felt it beneath a hull. There's nothing quite like it. This entire episode has taught me things I never imagined, and met wonderful folks that I never would have, either. It's not the DESTINATION. Have a patience week; your craftsman, too, does stunning work. JH
PS I have built every house I have lived in single handed and rebuilt two boats a C&C 35 and Baltic 39. All systems and including rig, teak decks from raw lumber.
Your hands and your patience are well honed John, I truly appreciate your comments here today; it's become more and more rare to find people who have bent on planks and understand that every parts connects ultimately and intimately with the rest of the vessel.
Why? Yes too many ways to screw it up. The sea is unforgiving. Time and cost of repair is keeping you off the water. Much better options available. Wooden boats are beautiful and soulful but only work for the wealthy. Wood is always in a stage of distress. The rebuild need is a year to year need.
I wonder some days if we have known the extent and the cost, time, money, energy, et al of this repair if we would have made the same choice back in the fall. I know that the answer for my partner, who grew up on wooden boats, and for me are probably different. I don't think it has crossed his salty mind that we shouldn't have saved her. And we are remarkably far from wealthy.
She does, however, keep me going, somehow. And things do fall into place.
Of course you would have embarked on this project to save and repair, to sail and preserve her into the future. It's a mission that you consciously joined and knew would not be easy. The ultimate gratification is yet many sea miles away. Possibly when you pass her on to her next steward at some distant port of call. And then they will proceed upon her thirty year refit.....it's not the old boat that you carry on for very little of her is 90 years old. IT'S THE OLD AIR THAT SHE CONTAINS, THE VERY ESSENCE OF ALL THE THOUSANDS OF MILES SHE HAS SAILED OVER ALL THOSE YEARS. THE ESSENCE AND THE DREAM THAT ATTRACTED YOU TWO IN THE FIRST PLACE.
You will finish this refit one way or another. You will sail off in unique and elegant splendor. This period of toil will become a distant memory and will bind you intimately to her incredible legacy with the amazing cargo of one hundred year old air......
YES. You are correct on all counts Dmitri...as you know one of her Stewards took more time and crazy work to bring her to where she is today...thank goodness he kept that airy soul alive and made her even better...the wood vs conversation is everywhere but you ate correct. It was not a choice it was a journey we were destined to do. Come see her. I think the 80s refit intended a much shorter time frame, too.... J
I am sorry to be so blunt. I did a lot of historical building restoration work for a large university in my professional life. I saw so much structural distress and destruction due to rot from water intrusion. I have seen 100 year old fur still strong and sound, though maybe only 20% of the original, and have seen the 5 year old replacement fur already rotting (historic football stadium seating).
I am a dedicated one man construction team from bedrock cutting, concrete work, through framing, mechanical systems, and cabinet grade staircases and wainscoting. I get the need and drive to craft and do things other people will not and can not do.
My wife ended up having 5 hours of abdominal surgery due to the stress of helping on our house rebuild. She neither had the skills nor build but lots of grit and determination.
It just seemed painful, the project you have undertaken.
Again I am sorry to be negative. I am 71 but still doing heavy manual labor, but not a full days worth and my wife sticks to gardening, but I do the hauling and digging.
I wish you well in going where you want, spiritually and geographically.
Hello John-- author here--no apologies required from me, either, of course. The tough honesty of my situation is not lost on me; I had few skills for this when we moved aboard four years ago, we flex and we learn and we do-over. carpentry is a tremendous skill and boatbuilding--a version thereof. And big. I'm a chef by trade, lived in Colorado for 26 years...it was all so new.
We reclaimed old growth pine from a factory in Pennsylvania built in the 1800s for our new planks. They smell just-cut and are tremendously tight grained and fantastic. Take a look through my archives if you have interest, see PRECIOUS COMMODITIES and REPAIR and REFIT. It's amazing stuff.
I will end up in a garden someday and wish the best of health and happiness for both you and your wife.
Our decision(s) have not all been easy, but some have, and I very much appreciate your good wishes. Thank you for taking the time to connect with me & with my very good friend Bill Loeb, who is a charming communicator and great participator. I look forward to touching bases with you again.
zero need for apologies. different perspectives are valuable.
one might say that all materials, wood, steel, carbon fiber, are in a stage of distress...just some more durable than others. Wood, of course, is quite prone to degradation. My father, who designed and built several wooden boats, was a big proponent of copper naphthenate (sp?). His bilges were always green.
sadly, as you mentioned, the wood of today is not the wood of yesteryear. While we have more board feet of trees today than when we arrived on the continent, as you alluded to, the strength and density is much less. The results of speeding the growing process.
This was a good reminder for us with our iPhones and e-cars, for whom history started yesterday, who have not nearly enough gratitude and appreciation for the technical skills of those who went before us, crossed oceans, crossed prairies, and eventually took to the skies because they knew how to turn metals and wooden into durable vessels, vehicles, and crafts.
Isn't it remarkable Switter??!! How'd they build those 400 ton warships centuries ago.??!! My hats, all of them, are off. We buy power tools and ...and and...
MS Project is a fun one, right? Anytime I did a project I always had to reduce the overlaps., if-then’s, or the reviewers what I always say it can’t possibly take that long!! Well in your case I hope the projections give you and achievable goal. And if not, just update project as you need to! As I read your article this morning I’m looking outside at the fence in my yard that has peeling paint and some rotted boards and I don’t want to deal with it. I commend you for dealing with it and doing what you need to do to get your home back at sea. Cheers
Your commendation is very much appreciated Keith! Maybe it's just when you put something down in black and white it's either calming or intimidating? I do think it will be a great tool. As for you, overestimate and come in low and early??! How does that work?
I suppose my suggestion here is too late. Just like when you buy a new shirt and the label has fine print that you should experiment with cleaning materials on a small unobtrusive area before washing, before you start the caulking process on the below the waterline areas, practice, practice, practice! on some out of the way deck planking 'til you get the feel of the cotton going in just right! I hope it is going well with you!
The voice of experience.. thank you again.
Not too late and much appreciated Bob! We will do the above water Grey stripe area (in her photo) above water prior to the new planking. The new work has much tighter seams; such a process, as Switter said, this was figured out centuries ago and we still do it, unique people that we are....
wow - talk about tedious work. You're dedicated, that's for sure!
Ah, with boat projects, the timelines must be raised by a magnitude, it seems. I feel for you. The last haul out we told the boatyard - 3 days, just a quick paint job and a minor repair. Well, it was three weeks. They seemed interminable, but eventually we were in the water again. Your project is massive, requires a different order of special skill and time investment. But your photos show progress and it is great to see. I hope you are in South America soon :-)
As we are on the cusp of the greatest economic and technological surge that the world has ever seen...this is a great reminder to embrace a slower time. We are going to have more latitude and liberty to explore that which we want…and it is a great example in that you are not surging forward…but rather looking back. Craftsmanship, careful labor and preserving history. Indeed, a worthy effort.
While I too eschew much of today's technology, wear handcrafted boots, carry a revolver in a leather holster (unless I have to go to the city) and abhor cars with only two pedals...you have taken it to another level. Using your hands to chalk a boat is not a chore for the meek.
A wooden boat is a living thing, with its own character, quirks and personality.
She appreciates the loving care that you are giving her...and when she is afloat again, she will welcome you quickly for your efforts.
She will shift, sway and as only a sailor knows, know when she embraces you.
Living and working slowly is unusual in this day and ago of, as you say, surges...and it is treating me well even if it was NOT an easy lesson. Take a look at my post, when another reader reminded me, bluntly, to settle down. It's entitled IT'S NOT THE DESTINATION.
And the soul? Hoping that as we travel after this we can charter and allow more people to experience that. I now have my Captain's license and we should be welcoming folks aboard soon enough! Thank you, Bill, for this and your comment below. That same phrase jumped out at me. J
I feel this, Janice, and respect the respect you and Steve have for this vessel, her history, and the waters that could take her away in an instant with nary a moment of guilt.
I'm reminded of a personal realization I had early on in my learning curve as the partner of a craftsman. "Whatever he offers as an estimate for the time it will take to complete a project: Double it." Most times that has still proved to be an underestimation, but at least it got me closer to reality.
You're making progress, and you're doing careful work. That's really something.
Nary a moment, nary a recognition, such power she has. You, too, have felt it beneath a hull. There's nothing quite like it. This entire episode has taught me things I never imagined, and met wonderful folks that I never would have, either. It's not the DESTINATION. Have a patience week; your craftsman, too, does stunning work. JH
PS I have built every house I have lived in single handed and rebuilt two boats a C&C 35 and Baltic 39. All systems and including rig, teak decks from raw lumber.
Your hands and your patience are well honed John, I truly appreciate your comments here today; it's become more and more rare to find people who have bent on planks and understand that every parts connects ultimately and intimately with the rest of the vessel.
Why? Yes too many ways to screw it up. The sea is unforgiving. Time and cost of repair is keeping you off the water. Much better options available. Wooden boats are beautiful and soulful but only work for the wealthy. Wood is always in a stage of distress. The rebuild need is a year to year need.
I wonder some days if we have known the extent and the cost, time, money, energy, et al of this repair if we would have made the same choice back in the fall. I know that the answer for my partner, who grew up on wooden boats, and for me are probably different. I don't think it has crossed his salty mind that we shouldn't have saved her. And we are remarkably far from wealthy.
She does, however, keep me going, somehow. And things do fall into place.
J
Of course you would have embarked on this project to save and repair, to sail and preserve her into the future. It's a mission that you consciously joined and knew would not be easy. The ultimate gratification is yet many sea miles away. Possibly when you pass her on to her next steward at some distant port of call. And then they will proceed upon her thirty year refit.....it's not the old boat that you carry on for very little of her is 90 years old. IT'S THE OLD AIR THAT SHE CONTAINS, THE VERY ESSENCE OF ALL THE THOUSANDS OF MILES SHE HAS SAILED OVER ALL THOSE YEARS. THE ESSENCE AND THE DREAM THAT ATTRACTED YOU TWO IN THE FIRST PLACE.
You will finish this refit one way or another. You will sail off in unique and elegant splendor. This period of toil will become a distant memory and will bind you intimately to her incredible legacy with the amazing cargo of one hundred year old air......
YES. You are correct on all counts Dmitri...as you know one of her Stewards took more time and crazy work to bring her to where she is today...thank goodness he kept that airy soul alive and made her even better...the wood vs conversation is everywhere but you ate correct. It was not a choice it was a journey we were destined to do. Come see her. I think the 80s refit intended a much shorter time frame, too.... J
"Wood is always in a stage of distress."
what a fascinating statement...one that will surely keep me up while contemplating.
thank you, it is rare when someone offers something that seems so simple, and yet complex.
Only having owned one wooden boat, never did I think of it that way.
So much for sleep...
I am sorry to be so blunt. I did a lot of historical building restoration work for a large university in my professional life. I saw so much structural distress and destruction due to rot from water intrusion. I have seen 100 year old fur still strong and sound, though maybe only 20% of the original, and have seen the 5 year old replacement fur already rotting (historic football stadium seating).
I am a dedicated one man construction team from bedrock cutting, concrete work, through framing, mechanical systems, and cabinet grade staircases and wainscoting. I get the need and drive to craft and do things other people will not and can not do.
My wife ended up having 5 hours of abdominal surgery due to the stress of helping on our house rebuild. She neither had the skills nor build but lots of grit and determination.
It just seemed painful, the project you have undertaken.
Again I am sorry to be negative. I am 71 but still doing heavy manual labor, but not a full days worth and my wife sticks to gardening, but I do the hauling and digging.
I wish you well in going where you want, spiritually and geographically.
Hello John-- author here--no apologies required from me, either, of course. The tough honesty of my situation is not lost on me; I had few skills for this when we moved aboard four years ago, we flex and we learn and we do-over. carpentry is a tremendous skill and boatbuilding--a version thereof. And big. I'm a chef by trade, lived in Colorado for 26 years...it was all so new.
We reclaimed old growth pine from a factory in Pennsylvania built in the 1800s for our new planks. They smell just-cut and are tremendously tight grained and fantastic. Take a look through my archives if you have interest, see PRECIOUS COMMODITIES and REPAIR and REFIT. It's amazing stuff.
I will end up in a garden someday and wish the best of health and happiness for both you and your wife.
Our decision(s) have not all been easy, but some have, and I very much appreciate your good wishes. Thank you for taking the time to connect with me & with my very good friend Bill Loeb, who is a charming communicator and great participator. I look forward to touching bases with you again.
John,
zero need for apologies. different perspectives are valuable.
one might say that all materials, wood, steel, carbon fiber, are in a stage of distress...just some more durable than others. Wood, of course, is quite prone to degradation. My father, who designed and built several wooden boats, was a big proponent of copper naphthenate (sp?). His bilges were always green.
sadly, as you mentioned, the wood of today is not the wood of yesteryear. While we have more board feet of trees today than when we arrived on the continent, as you alluded to, the strength and density is much less. The results of speeding the growing process.
https://hullworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/wood-Picture1.png
thank you for your dedication preserving the historical structures. They truly don't make them like they used to.
It is impressive that you are still working so hard. You remind me of my father in law...almost 90 and still welding. My hat is off to you.
Sorry about your wife's issues. Prayers heading your way.
I too wish you long life, much health, prosperity and joy.
Be well, John
Be well
She's coming along, Janice!
This was a good reminder for us with our iPhones and e-cars, for whom history started yesterday, who have not nearly enough gratitude and appreciation for the technical skills of those who went before us, crossed oceans, crossed prairies, and eventually took to the skies because they knew how to turn metals and wooden into durable vessels, vehicles, and crafts.
We still stand on the shoulders of giants.
Isn't it remarkable Switter??!! How'd they build those 400 ton warships centuries ago.??!! My hats, all of them, are off. We buy power tools and ...and and...
Always appreciate your words. Thanks!! J
And, and, and we respect and honor those who showed us the way.
MS Project is a fun one, right? Anytime I did a project I always had to reduce the overlaps., if-then’s, or the reviewers what I always say it can’t possibly take that long!! Well in your case I hope the projections give you and achievable goal. And if not, just update project as you need to! As I read your article this morning I’m looking outside at the fence in my yard that has peeling paint and some rotted boards and I don’t want to deal with it. I commend you for dealing with it and doing what you need to do to get your home back at sea. Cheers
Your commendation is very much appreciated Keith! Maybe it's just when you put something down in black and white it's either calming or intimidating? I do think it will be a great tool. As for you, overestimate and come in low and early??! How does that work?