From the ridiculous to the (in perspective) sublime . . . and back to the really sublime

 Maryan and I kayaked around the wooden boat show at the Seaport on the 28^th—seen from the cheap seats (the water).

Here’s me kissing the stern of the Emma C. Berry, whom I’ve grown to love (and through editing the book have come to know more about than any boat I’ve ever heard about).

Then we went up the river a bit to see the 1920’s-era Klang II, a hapless collection of planks calling itself a “channel yawl,” and having been rescued from where it had sunk (for the 6^th time) in the Connecticut River as few years ago.

Apparently it was pressed into service in WWII to cruise about looking for submarines, and the two lads who rescued it, at no small expense, have now started a 501 c 3 to raise money to keep it afloat http://www.klang2.org/

I have to confess, it did my heart a bit of good to see that there were some ancient wooden boats out here that need lots more help than Jeff Brown.  Mean of me but there it is.  As Maryan said, “I’m glad we got to see it before it went the way of, presumably, Klang I.”

  So slowly, slowly I sand and prime, sand and prime.  Wonder about the massive caulking that will have to be done.  Paul assuring me he will come this week and do the major repairs.  July 4^th came and went and Jeff did not get a chance to be out there eliciting envy on his mooring.

Don and I kayaked around Ram and Gates Island on the 4th looking for bass (none) and came back by way of passing the 1915 sardine carrier Grayling on her mooring.  My god what a phenomenal job they have done.  That hull has GOT to have a fiberglass shell on it—there is no way the planks could be so fair.  I wept with inadequacy as we passed. 

Hopefully this week I will finish priming the deck and then can paint the bulwarks and sheerstrake to show “my public” that at lest something is happening.  I will have to paint around Paul’s repairs a bit, but so what.  Take that, Grayling!

Primed and . . . oh who knows?

Paul had said that all the imperfections show when you prime it.  I thought, that can't be true; the primer will hide things.
Well, friends, the primer does not hide things.
The primer shows you what a derelict you are, even if you've sanded the poor thing within an inch of its life.

I used the hand long blade sander, the 5" orbital sander, the 4" square hand sander, the detail sander , the filler, the epoxy, the heat gun . . . I used everything except dynamite and what do I get?

I get "eh."

 Note the big-ass hole still missing a dutchman.
Actually it looks okay for a "10-foot paint job," as Don would say.

But I am going to cheat.
Tomorrow I am going to fill the little puckers and cracks I had not noticed, sand them down, and prime again.
I do not think that is breaking any maritime epoxy laws.

Paul has said that now I should put on the seam compound.
But the compound he left me is brown, and says "for under water use only."  And unless Jeff Brown heads straight to the bottom when it launches, the topsides are above the waterline.

So is this the right stuff or the wrong stuff?  If I use it the poor thing will look like it has convict stripes.  I called Paul yesterday to find out how to use it.  I got the vague notion that paint thinner and a rag are  key.

Cripes, I'm going to have to call him again.

As you can see, I still haven't stripped the transom.  Plus there are little rot-holes near the stern that I have to fill with epoxy.  As my father used to say right before he went out on each charter, "Oh, boat, boat, hang together."

Now we’re cooking!

Today I hauled out the 8” disc sander, pronounced by Paul as “a piece of shit,” and when I’d figured how to stick the disc on with the adhesive and start it up, I could see what he meant.  It was hopping all over the place—perhaps it was my ineptitude but if I’d held it any tighter I would have worn Jeffie down to a nub.  Even though I’d taken most of the paint off with a heat gun, the bondo was still there, and lots of chips, and I nearly choked to death.

But I got the first sanding done, with the help of the detail sander and the little 4" hand sander, and then . . . priming!

And boy do you see all your mistakes and “holidays” when you prime.

But it looks scads better and the wood feels better—it was kind of drying out.

I sanded off the paint on the stem brass.  Ain't it cute? I'll polish it next.  Paul says I have to row out to the mooring and polish it every day.  He's such a card.

Still waiting for the Dutchman and the keel caulk (both above my pay grade).  Nora still beavering away on the deck.

Still have to get the stern paint off, and then re-bondo the topsides to make it smooth.

Will this ever end?