Sprucing Up

With the fleet safely stored in the warehouse for the winter, it's time to put some effort into sprucing up some of the well used interactive displays in the Museum.  One of the most popular of these is a skiff that is mounted on a cleverly disguised waterbed, which kids love to sit in, rock and sway, and generally have a great time.  With so many little feet climbing in, out, and around, it is no wonder that a fresh coat of paint is warranted from time to time.  This week, the skiff was removed from its watery base and brought down to the shop where volunteers sanded and primed it, and Jeff did the honors applying fresh paint to the inside and out.  The boat will be back on display next week.

The skiff interior is now bright and shiny again.

Jeff applies the red bootstripe

One more coat, and she'll be ready for more kids.

Misleading Lady is luxuriating in a new coat of varnish over her decks and coaming.  Newt and Jeff worked as a team with Newt rolling and Jeff tipping, and the result was a perfectly even finish -- not a single "curtain" or "holiday" could be found.

That's a lot of brightwork!

Looking good. It's a shame we need to sand it to apply the next coat.

New WoW team member Dave began this week and went right to work lofting the Harbormaster Skiff that will be the main project for this year's SAILOR program students.  Teams of high school students have already begun their own lofting exercise, and are now building strongbacks in preparation for beginning construction of the skiffs.

Dave bends a batten as he lofts the Harbormaster Skiff.

Stacks of legs and braces for strongbacks await the next class day.

Next steps.

Plumbing was the order of the day for Charles and his Oughtred Grey Seal. With the shaft bore pilot hole completed, and the engine position determined, the next step was installing the raw water side (through hull, seacock, raw water filter) of the engine plumbing.  More detail on the Grey Seal project can be found on Charles' blog, Building a Grey Seal.  

The raw water filter is fastened to the cabin bulkhead.

Seacock ready for fastening.