Monday 24 October

We welcomed back Nick today who has been living between Perth and Denmark. He joined Paul and Geoff and I who were all sanding this morning. Paul went on working on the gunwales while I used JP’s awesome orbital sanding machine to sand the breasthooks flush with the gunwales. Geoff sanded the footrests for boat 2.

Paul sanding the base of the blocks
JP’s orbital sander making light work of the breasthook and dust free.
Breasthook in place and sanded flush.
Geoff sanding some complicated edges of the footrests.

Nick took on the challenge of making the cox’s floorboard which he did successfully including drilling the access handle hole.

Battery problems slowed this process down.

Geoff had brought in fruit for morning tea to help with his diet. It made a nice change (after we had had a slice of fruit cake). Harry was there with us for morning tea and should have been benefiting from the healthy option.

At 12 I had an appointment to go on air at Denmark FM with Rovie Robertson who dropped into the shed to get a look at the boats on her way to the studio. She was very enthusiastic about rowing them.

Do I go in?
Rovie, a great volunteer on the Denmark FM system.

When I got back to the shed Paul said the interview about launch day had sounded great. He was the only one left and soon left himself, when he eventually discovered that his wife was waiting outside in the stealth mobile (Tesla). I had lunch and then started on cutting the thwarts to shape. I was doing this alone when there was a knock on the door and in walked Peter K back down from Perth. He had been sailing and rowing on Wellington dam with the OGAWA (Old Gaffers) over the weekend. I wish I had gone up for it too. I did get JP’s and my shared boat out of the shed for a sail on the Wilson inlet though.

Iolanthe on the Wilson Inlet (a Stornaway 18)
Cutting the thwart timber.
Boat 2 nearing woodwork completion.

More of the same tomorrow.

Cheers Dave