Progress!

I managed to get both kids to nap simultaneously, so I was able to get some more boatbuilding prep work done.  First, I got the strongback up on legs... it seems a little high, but it will probably be nice for puting all those stitches in.  Here is a picture:

I also managed to get all three building frames cut out.  I am not going to mount them to the strongback yet, since I am also using the strongback as my scarfing table.  Here are the three frames:

First step towards a new boat

Well, kind of...  This new shed will allow me to get the yard stuff out of the garage, making room for lots of new boats!  Here is a slide show documenting the shed build:

On Hold

Well, boatbuilding is on temporary hold due to cold weather and other stuff that needs to get done first.  First of all, my shed should be arriving tomorrow, so I will need to take some time to get that taken care of.  I need to clear a spot behind the garage for it to go, build a "foundation" for it, and then assemble the shed itself.  Then I can move all my yard stuff into it and give the whole garage a proper cleaning.  I've also got some spring yardwork to take care of, like raking up the leaves left over from fall, de-thatching the grass, etc...  And finally, I can get rid of any other junk I've got laying around on Project Pride day.  Every year in the spring, the city of Holland opens up the city dump and allows the residents to dump as much as you can for free!  It always amazes me how much stuff I bring!  I load up the truck and wonder to myself, "Why on earth did I keep this stuff?!?!?!"  I am trying to reform my pack-rat ways, but change is hard, and you never know when you might need that random piece of scrap wood!

Preliminaries

As with many projects, just getting started can be the hardest part.  This one is no different.  In order to have room to build in my garage, I need to rearrange some things, and move some things out.  So I have actually ordered a small shed that I can put behind the garage with all my yard stuff; lawnmower, rakes, shovels, etc...  Until that comes the garage is just going to be really cluttered, oh well.

The next big step is that I am planning on picking up my marine plywood this weekend.  The first major task after that will be to scarf the sheets into two 20 ft. long x 4 ft. wide panels.  I am planning to add some temporary support to my strongback and use that as my scarfing table.  I am a little nervous about the whole scarfing process, but it has to happen!

Watertribe UM

I now have a really good reason to finish my boat ASAP.  I am planning on doing the Watertribe Ultra Marathon (UM) in 2010 with my dad.  This is a 65 mile sprint, and coincides with the first leg of the Everglades Challenge.  Shown below is a map of the course:

View Larger Map

Paddles

So of course you need paddles to make a canoe go... And of course I can't be satisfied buying a pre-made paddle, I need to make them myself!  I am planning on making a pair of bent-shaft marathon racing style paddles to use with the XCR.  The pictures show the plan and a full size template I made of half the paddle blade.

My plan is to make the bent shaft using 7 laminated strips of wood (species unknown).  That way, it should be relatively easy to build in the 14 degree bend.  The blade will be made of high density closed cell foam with two layers of carbon fiber on each side.  All in all, the paddle should be very light, but also very strong.  I am hoping that I will be able to work on the paddles in the near future, since they are small enough to be worked on inside.

Cut out

I got the frame and bulkhead templates cut out.   One of them doesn't quite look right, so I am going to go back and double check all dimensions.  See you soon!  Sorry for the crummy pic, but I used my phone.