Racing and splicing

We began the day by loading up the ISM entry in the duckboat race at the Mantoloking Yacht Club.  She is a beautifully (WoW) restored Beaton sneakbox.  John S. drove her down to Mantoloking for the race.

Sneakbox on the trailer, headed for New Jersey and glory.

Those of us left behind found a few important tasks with which to keep busy. Larry occupied himself with between-coat sanding and then painting the current maintenance project -- one of the ISM fleet Whitehalls.  All the seats have been painted and reinstalled, a new sole has been fashioned, and the shearstrake and transom sport a new bright blue color.  She should be ready for rowing any day now.

Larry wipes down the rail before painting the second coat.

Everything sanded and ready to paint.

Shiny enough to see your reflection.

Charles worked on the shroud assembly for the second whaleboat rig.  Splicing an eye around a bullseye seemed pretty straightforward, but splicing is not like riding a bicycle.  If you haven't done it for a while, you had better get the book out and learn all over again.

It really does look like the picture.  Really.  It does.

The splice to be behind a completed one.  Something to aim for.

Bruce Almighty Gets Wet

Last minute work was completed on the old lapstrake Whitehall, including the installation of new white oak oarlock pads.  She has been re-christened "Bruce Almighty" in recognition of our recent WoW director, Bruce MacKenzie. Dockmaster Dan came up with the name, and although no one checked with Bruce, we are sure he won't mind this contribution to his boatshop legacy. With all work completed, she was rolled out of the shop, and slid into the water, where she will be available to rowers once again.

Dan fastens Bruce Almighty's new oarlock pads.

Looking good

Hard to miss, even for the myopic.

Down the ramp . . . .

. . . and into the water!

With one Whitehall gone, the next neediest member of the fleet was brought into the shop for maintenance.  She looks pretty beat up, but a quick survey suggested that most of the work will be cosmetic.  Unlike Bruce, the frames seem to be intact and will not need replacing, and her seats look solid, if ragged.  She will be a nice project for the WoW team over the nest few weeks.

All together now!

Yuck.  How organic.

We are going to try growing our own masts -- in place.

Lee and Larry having a great time mopping up slime.

Whaleboat #1 is back in the water, dry as she can be, and Whaleboat #2 is in the shop for a few tweaks.  She was a bit leaky in Mystic, and we flipped her over to fix some caulk and repaint her bottom.  

Lee tapes the waterline on Whaleboat #2

We took the opportunity of a fairly quiet day to do some shop cleanup. Charles and Dan built a pair of brackets to get the two sets of whaleboat oars off the sawhorses in the middle of the shop floor.  Each boat has 6 oars, including the steering oar, and the shortest one is 14 feet long, so they do take up precious space.

Charles and Jeff stack oars on the new brackets.

Think Safety has special meaning when you are atop a 12 foot ladder with a 14 foot oar.

While we were at it, we hoisted the two whaleboat rigs to the ceiling, so now we have space for another boat in the shop.  

Larry and Jeff hoist while Dan looks on.

Up at the ceiling and out of the way.