A Long Term Relationship

After several long evenings on dates with the jigsaw. I'm confronted with an emotional twist. This sticky new character is about to get fully intertwined in my life. Like, in my clothes, hat and hair. There won't be a moment where I'm not reminded just how attached I've become. This appears to be the beginning of a long term relationship. Things are getting serious. 6 gallons is not a commitment to be taken lightly.

The epoxy is a little different than what I'm used to. I purchased a "non-blushing" variety which doesn't produce the waxy film after curing. Because of this I can avoid a lot of time consuming sanding between coats. Papa gives me a digital scale which can zero itself, making the 2:1 mixing very simple. There's some terminology I have to learn since the epoxy is used for so many different functions.

"Epoxy" proper is unthickened. It is a little thinner than honey and will flow and drip out of everything. It is a pipe dream to believe that you can catch all of the drips, the stuff seems to just keep moving until it hardens. 

Today we'll be gluing the edge pieces onto the bulkheads. "Glue" is usually thickened with a very strong filler like Colloidal Silica. The consistency is about that of peanut butter(think the natural kind, not the hydrogenated oil kind). The surfaces are well coated on both sides and when compressed, a small amount should squeeze out. It is absurd how strong this bond is and absurd how hard it is to sand. Again, the idea being that we could pull all of the fasteners later if we wanted.

Cake Frosting

 "Fillets" are joints made from epoxy mixed with a softer filler like Phenolic Microballoons(fun to say too). This filler is easy to sand and when mixed up right looks like cake frosting. It doesn't help that you squeeze the filleting blend out of a plastic bag just like a cake decorater. That part always make me hungry.

Bulkhead 11 ready for limber holes

Limber hole

Most of the bulkheads are designed with limber holes cut out of the bilge corners to allow water to pass between bulkheads and pool in the lowest part of the boat.
In the event of a capsize, this facilitates pumping out the accumulated water and drying the inside of the boat. Using a pint sized paint can, I trace the shape and cut it out of the corner to make the space.

Bevel Board

Each bulkhead, including the transom and stem has some sort of bevel cut along its outside edges to accommodate the curve of the sides of the boat. Papa offered some professional advice at this point and explained that a professional boat builder would make a bevel board to show each angle to be cut at a glance and using a bevel square/angle finder each bevel can be marked and checked.

Bulkhead 2 with a finished bevel

Most of the bevels are very slight for this boat design, a few barely noticeable, but others would make for a dramatic effect if cut too deep or too shallow. I cut the stem with the table saw and used power and hand planers to work the bulkhead bevels out.

Finished Stem

The boat is getting dangerously close to taking a vague boat-like shape. I'll need friends for this next part and then the dreams can begin to really rattle around in my head as I imagine myself in this space we are creating.

A Pile of Lumber

 It's been cold. -15F every morning this week. I drive down toward the lakeshore and pass a tree removal company, the workers in their Carharrt suits, trimming from the top of their bucket truck. The lake is calm and intimidating. It's on the cusp of freezing. I shudder at the thought of being on the water, but take some comfort knowing that Papa's shop is heated.

Today we start laying out bulkheads and forms. The plans show all of the individual sheets of plywood and how each piece is pulled out. We number the sheets and I begin to realize that the jigsaw is about to become my best friend. Papa shows me how to scale the drawings with a ruler. 1 inch equals 1 foot. We double check dimensions, Papa is very thorough in verifying my moves as I measure and cut. I find myself rushing, going too fast, and making mistakes.

Slowly, the pile of plywood turns into an assortment of shapes. We decide to leave the transom solid for the time being, because I'd like to cut a more aesthetically pleasing motorwell. The current angle cut shown on the plans, accommodates a small outboard and the tiller, but a bent tiller handle could be used to go over the top and a smaller opening for the motor could be used. I'm constantly trying to visualize the final product, because this type of building is so new.

There will be lots of time spent on details(and sanding) later, but I use them as a carrot to keep me focused on the big picture and the next step.

Picara

Papa and I had several conversations about this. I asked him to be the voice of reason.

I had to pick a design. Visions of the bow crashing over swells on the inside passages of the Pacific Northwest, Jack my dog standing on the bow looking heroic in the rabid seas as the sails are filled with wi--I need to pick a design. Something kind of simple. Something that could conceivably round cape horn while keeping me and my love afloat, I'd squeeze her closer as the rain is driving into us and threateni--I NEED TO PICK A DESIGN. I swear I'm not prone to over romanticizing or daydreaming.

Okay I want a sailboat. Check. I want it to have a cabin. Check. And, uh, sails. Check. Jack should be able to fit. Courtney too. Oh and Scout, her dog. Maybe a cat, two cats? Wait am I building a sailboat or an ark? What's the difference? They both float right?

I really don't know anything about sailboats, or sailing. Papa said look at Jim Michalak's plans, keep it under 20 feet long. He says the amount of fun a boat is, is inversely proportional to it's size. Plus I need to learn how to sail. I keep reminding myself.

 How about this one?

Yeah that looks good. I've seen one before.

Can I learn to sail in it and take it to Alaska?

Well...I think you could.







That's all the encouragement I need!

 Plans are ordered. Shopping lists made. But lets look at the shop for a moment. Wait how long is this boat supposed to be...18ft! And 6ft wide!

The working space in the shop is about 20 ft by 10ft. The tools can be shuffled around as needed. Rolling the hull will be interesting. It should fit out the door.

I notice at this point that I'm getting way too excited. It's probably best to do something to give me a reality check, something that always dampens my spirits, something like shopping.

I'll start with a pile of plywood, a few handfuls of quality pine sticks and 6 gallons of epoxy. I want to make a quality boat and opt for better than most grade materials. The 1/4 plywood is a 5 ply Baltic Birch which Papa has done some testing on to ensure the glue holds up. It's sanded on both faces and quite pleasant to work with. The 3/8 and 1/2 inch plywood are marine grade, aka expensive, quite rough and prone to splintering. I've already made my peace with the needle and peroxide.

All of the fasteners that will be left in the boat are stainless steel. The nails are ringshank and impossibly hard to remove. The screws are square drive and somewhat slip resistant, but occasionally round out under weak pressure. The idea is that everything is actually held together with epoxy. The fasteners could be removed after the glue cures and be just as strong. We'll leave them in anyway for good measure.

The real work is about to begin, but first a little about the design.

Picara - A woman who is a rogue or adventurer
I found the design off of Duckworks Boat Building Supply - duckworksbbs.com
Jim Michalak has an extensive listing of plans on this site and more resources on his own site - jimsboats.com

Jim's plans are geared toward beginner boat builders and are therefor very user friendly. He also gears his plans toward commonly obtained materials and common dimensions. Outside of the epoxy and fiberglass, everything else for the hull construction can be found at Menards or an equivalent lumber yard.

This is a first boat for me besides a wooden kayak I built as a kid and I felt that it would be an ideal starting place to hopefully launch a lifelong obsession(like I really need another one, don't get me going about motorcycles).

The second part of this story, meaning much more than the adventurous pipe dream in my head and the nuts and bolts of construction, is that this is my opportunity to learn from my Grandfather, something he knows well and loves dearly. It's truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn skill and technique, to hear the stories and lessons learned and spend quality time with someone who means a lot to me. We may be building a boat, but it's everything that happens in between that truly matters.

The Supreme Moment

Do you remember when I said you could have the shop?

Yeah, when you had me paint it for you.

Yeah, but to use if you wanted to build a boat.

A boat. What sort of boat?

Any kind of boat.

How big?

As big a boat as can fit.

Like a sailboat?

Any kind of boat.

Won't I be in your way?

I'm done building boats. I'll help you build yours.

How many boats have you built?

31

Okay. I'll build a boat.


-Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment).

-a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action :  the opportune and decisive moment