Monday 25 July
I’m back to the fun of being in the shed building St Ayles Skiffs. Sadly, JP, who was planning on being here, tested positive this morning and will have to miss this week. I was nearly able to go a day without thinking about boatbuilding when I was on holiday in Sydney and then Alice Springs. It is pretty addictive this boatbuilding.
This morning I was joined by Dr John and Geoff B. Dr John, who had been the champion of keeping the build going while I was away, showed me the impressive progress they had made. He also reprimanded me about not posting a picture of our second canine mascot, Veronica’s rescue dog, Barney. He also reminded me that we had distinguished visitors and old friends of mine, Ted Kirkbride and his wife, last week who had been involved with St Ayles Skiffs in Aukland New Zealand.
Geoff B started sanding the inside of boat 1 as he felt that this was a job that suited his pay grade, although I know he is underselling himself. Dr John and I dry fitted the last two planks and we made some final adjustments to the lands. While I taped up the moulds, Dr John got back on the electric plane and started taking the keel lands back to a flat surface 50mm wide. Harry came in and we put the kettle on for a cuppa and a chat. The others were very keen to hear about the restaurant JP and I had been to in Sydney. There were more than enough cakes to go around.
After morning tea all three of us set about glueing the final planks, or the whisky planks, into place. Dr John mixed and painted on the resin coat and Geoff and I mixed up batches of glue and applied them to the lands. When we had finished clamping the starboard plank into place, Geoff had to leave us to the port side plank. Both planks went on with the ease of experience and the clean up began.
At the end of the day Dr John had to nip down to the IGA for more vinegar to clean the mixing trays and implements while I was still under the boat in very cramped quarters cleaning up the squeeze out covered in saw dust. When Dr John had left Nick S turned up to see how we were getting on. He has been up in Perth a lot recently and unable to join in the boatbuilding but he said he would come in tomorrow with his bottle of whisky so that we can toast boat 2’s whisky plank milestone. Please join us at around 10.30 am if you can. Cam W and the school students are then going to drop in for a bit of sanding at 11am.
It’s good to be back on a PC, rather than a phone to write this blog. See you tomorrow. Cheers Dave.