Monday, March 12, 2018

High Class Operation

A bit of ketchup on this year's boat school classes. We did four classes again, beginning with Bronzecasting. It's a dirty job. Smelly too. We use the casting sand over and over and over, the oil in the sand getting set afire each time. Phew. But it sure is fun.


Justin carved patterns for an array of saguaro boathooks. 


Dual furnaces, blasting through the propane, burning our fair share. About 500 pounds in four days. 



Aren't they cute?


Next up were two oarmaking classes. Janek and Dan laminating the shafts.


Kelly planing them down.


Betsy squaring them up.


And cutting the blade sides.


Hands down, my favorite part of oar making.


From squares to octagons.


And on to sixteenagons.



Grinding out the blades.


Mark is a wee bit dusty.


Sewing on the oar leathers.


Tooling up the leather oar stops.


And armoring the tips.


Class number two, by no means second class.


Day one of the Briggs dory building class: lofting the lines for our boat.


Expanding out the true shape and angles of the transom. You can almost hear the brains exploding.


Shawn planing out the rolling bevel of the bowpost.


A two-hour assembly of the hull on day three.


Steam bending the chines.


On with the bottom and the chines.


Over she comes.


Joe screwing up. Upward, that is.


Decking her in.



Decks on. Time to fiberglass the seams. Sticky business.


Demonstrating the gunwale bolt drilling technique.


Day eight, afternoon. She may not be done, but goddam near! Amazing.


Winter makes a surprise showing. We'd forgotten it wasn't autumn.


1 comment:

  1. I was very disappointed not to be able to make the oar class. next year if you put it on I WILL make it!

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