This morning I was up at 0600, made coffee and was on the deck by 0630. It is barely light by that time here in our valley. The sun gets over the hill to the east around 0730. It was foggy, and just above freezing and I counted seven deer in the field browsing off the last remaining leaves on my walnut trees. I usually sit out there, have my coffee, and plan my day, making a list of things, most of which won’t get done.
I have developed quite a bit of technology (fanatical) about making these lists. I know if not done correctly or done with a haphazard attitude, a lot of anxiety and frustration will ensue, wreaking havoc on my day. There are things I have to do, things I want to do, and things I really don’t want to do. These sometimes, sadly, don’t make the list. Then there are things Jane, my wife, wants me to do, and if any of these things are from yesterday, I sure better get them done today. And then, for instance, if I realize that yesterday I forgot to drain the hot water tank on our trailer then that must go to top of the list. But then it’s probably already frozen anyway. And then there is prioritizing the list and sorting out which things have to get done before other things can be done. But in the end most things just get scratched off my list as fast as they go on as I’d rather make it short. I’ve finished my coffee and can’t feel my toes anymore so it’s time to go inside and get breakfast. One could spend all morning sipping a coffee and figuring out one’s day. Making a detailed list like this really fills you with a sense of accomplishment. Then my fishing buddy, Chris, calls me on the phone.
“What you doing?
“……… Uh, nothing”
“Want to meet me in town for a coffee?”
“……….. Sure, why not? Its only 9 and I’ve gotten almost everything scratched off my list.”
So, stuffing my list in my pocket, I ride to town and have another coffee with Chris. Lists are for idiots anyway who can’t get stuff done.
I walked into the shop about 10 this morning, built a fire to heat the place up, and set out to cut four more sockets for the white oak frames that will be bent onto Theresa. Frames will come from the big white oak that fell last winter. They will be 1 1/4 inches wide and 1 1/8 inches thick and they must fit in the sockets tightly. So, the fid (chunk of wood I am using for a gauge) is about 1/32 smaller each way. The actual frame and socket will be paired before steaming (after which it probably won’t fit anymore) shoved in the hole and bent around. Frames at the ends of the hull will also need to be twisted to lay flat against the ribbands (1” x 2” strips around which the frames are bent). To accomplish this twisting, I have made a two handled yoke with a rectangular hole in it so I can pull down and twist at the same time. As I describe this, please keep in mind that Theresa’s hull is being built upside down, so the bending and twisting will be going on outside the hull rather than inside, as it would be if she were being built right side up. If this bending and twisting and pulling down is all done to music it doesn’t look quite so silly. The ribbands are notched into the forms so the outside of the form is the inside of the frame. And of course, the outside of the frame is the inside of the planking. It’s pretty simple once you get your wits about it. It’s just that it’s a lonnnnnng process. There are 38 frames per side so 76 total and each one must line up and be square with the one on the other side. It is taking me about 30 minutes to an hour to cut one socket. It could be done faster with a router and a jig but honestly, a router can cause significant carnage to Theresa if I happen to be thinking about fishing so I like my chisels for this job.
The other job I need to get done before I can start framing is to bend in the ribband ends to the appropriate curve at the stem and the stern. The curve of the hull at the ends is so extreme that it is impossible to get the ribbands to bend correctly. So, I am making offset blocks for this (this is difficult to describe). One block is the thickness of the planking and it sits in the rabbet. The block under it is to the thickness of the frame. Care is taken to ensure this contraption is pointing the right direction and then screwed home. Then I am laminating thin strips to the shape of the curve in this area and tying them into the ribband a station mold away from the end. I also have made some half station forms, two of them between the last station (#12) and the aft perpendicular, to make sure I hold the right shape here. This was not really necessary as it only has to be right at the point where the last frame is located but in making these two extra molds, I was able to check several other things and am now foolishly optimistic that I have it right.
Yeah, the funny thing about boatbuilding is that once you figure out something on one side, you have to turn around and do it all over again on the other side. Who knew? So, to keep my flubs and do-overs equally spaced, I alternate which side I do first. This should serve at least two purposes, to help her sail on a straight course and to avoid having to tie up to the dock always on the same side.
Today was a typical day. I had coffee with a friend, I chopped some square holes, made some sawdust, I listened to some good music, tinkered with some ribbands and figured a few things out. Somehow the only thing I did on my list was the sockets. But you know, that’s the beauty of making a short list. You don’t have to worry about all the 900 gazillion things that are not on it. Hey! It’s not on my list.
Dave Ahrens
