Spring

With a long awaited and much anticipated Spring finally here, it is almost time for the three boats that now occupy the WoW shop floor to splash.  The Francis Herreshoff Meadow Lark, Suzy is all put back together, and is sporting a fresh coat of paint, on both her bottom and hull, as well as new lettering on her transom.  She is a good looking old girl, and we'll be proud to send her on her way, better than when she arrived in so many ways.  Suzy is due to leave the shop next Tuesday, assuming that her reconditioned prop arrives by then.  

New lettering on a freshly painted transom

You can see your reflection in Suzy's hull

Freshly painted leeboards await reinstallation

And the prop is where?

The first Beetle replica whaleboat is complete, and ready to launch, and the second one is moving quickly toward completion.  All hands were working on various projects related to that goal.  Thwarts have been cut and installed, and now the thwart knees must be bent into position and fastened.  Brackets, which fill the space between the hull and the bent oak knees, must be precisely cut and fitted.  Also, the many trim pieces unique to whaleboats must be fabricated and installed. We have about four weeks left until the launch party, and there is still a lot of work to be done.

John and Jeff work on knee brackets. 

Jeff fits a knee.

Steve works on an oak rail spacer between the bowchocks and the clumsy cleat.

Here is the lion's tongue, cut out and ready fitting.

Nick wrestles the student-made rudder into position for a test fitting.