Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five

Wow, I’m reporting five days into this project, already.  And, it’s starting to get sort of exciting.  No, really.  I usually don’t have a damn clue what things are gonna’ look like after only five sevenths of a work week.  And, hey, I’ve only been working half days—12 hours.  Already, little Strumpet is taking shape. 

All the cutting, shaping, sanding, and fitting of those ¼” thick Tigerwood strips has begun to look like I imagined it.  Pretty much.  In fact, by the time I pulled the clamps off the third and final engine hatch, I just about knew how to do it. Not that I have big plans to become a professional engine hatch jury rigger any time soon.  But, at least I could better cover my tracks by the time the last one clambered into place.

Each one, by itself, weighs about half-a-Volkswagon.

And they all need to be hinged and somehow given a way to stay up when that would be a good thing.  More sanding.  Lots of varnish.  And, tons of trim work to go.  I do admit to sort of enjoy having something to remind myself that this could, maybe, actually work out.  Kinda?

But, the shop supe sort of reminds me of when I used to try to make a living selling insurance.  Back in those dreary days, when I’d have a good day, or good week, the boss would say, “OK.  What’re ya’ gonna’ do for me tomorrow.”  So, while I was sort of digging at slivers, and patting myself on the back a little; it was already time to get to getting’.

Next up.  That extended dash board area.  And, now I remember why I wondered if making a flight deck sized area behind the windshield was such a swell idea.  That little soccer field is two feet deep and just under half-dozen wide.  That’s scads and scads of Tigerwood strips that have to be cut to size, sanded, fit, and convinced to stay glued down.

This is what it looks like, just on the first fly-by.

Now, I also remember why I wondered how wonderful it would be if I made it cambered and sloped a bit while I was at it.  So, now each one of those strips has to take a slight bend.  And some of them need to be shoved into line, against their predilections.  As most anybody who has watched a perfectly flat and straight board emerge from the table saw looking like several long and woody straws of macaroni will tell you; thin wood strips can have a mind of their own.  But, maybe a couple hours on the morning shift, and we’ll have something that looks like something.

I did get the evil eye from the ol’ supe when I told him I was giving the rest of the night shift an early jump, and that I was even gonna’ go put my feet up, too.  Yeah, yeah.  We’ll be right back at it, come morning.  Probably.

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Strumpet project - Next day

When I dreamed up this cockameme scheme, the idea of putting a wood overlay on decks and vertical surfaces seemed like it might take a day, or so.  No big deal.  I even asked the Head Estimator.  He figured, the dashboard area shouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes per strip.  So.

Sooooooo, I put it on the punch list for Day Six.  Before I knew it, the day shift guys were claiming they deserved some time off, to do honedo’s.  No problem, I thought.  I’ve got an excellent crew on the night shift.  Those guys come early, skip their breaks, and usually ask for overtime, too.  The night shift aughta’ geterdone.  No sweat.

Well, then the night shift said they needed time off to go plow snow.   But, before they knocked off early, they at least dreamed up this pretty cool little jig.  Lets you fix the bullnoses, round the ends, sand the flats, and stuff like that.  Not bad for a bunch of light weights.

Before I knew it, Day Six had slid all the way into Seven.  And all those guys had to show for it was a small pile of sticks, a whole bag of sawdust, and nothing but complaints to show for two whole days.  I sure hope your boat building crews are better behaved than mine have been this past couple days. 

This is how they left me, last night.

Those guys!  Somehow, instead of 10 minutes a board, they claim it’s taking more like 30 minutes a board.  They claim, somebody’s gotta measure and mark each one.  Then, somebody has to climb over the gunnl’ and down a rickety ladder.  (Hey, if they don’t like that ladder, they could go out to the garage and get a whole scaffold.) But, then, they claim they’d have to move the two band saws that are in the way, and the metal chop saws, and that really big dust collector on a cart.  And, get this.  They figure I should come in and move those three outboard motors and the complete chevy-six and outdrive that they claim get in their way each and every time they have to climb down and go to the sliding miter saw.

Then, it gets really deep.  They claim that they have to cut each board perpendicular, bullnose it, sand it completely, fix chips and stuff like that,  and then go past all that stuff they think I should move.  (Like, where do they think I’m gonna’ put it, anyhow?)  They say they have to fit it, and sometimes it doesn’t fit.  So, then they claim they have to go do most of that stuff all over again.

Well, that’s the stuff I’m hearing from the night crew.  At least they don’t take head breaks until there’s glue smeared under the sticks and the bolt buckets are planted firmly on those twisty, warpy sticks first.  Thanks, for small favors, guys.

Well, when the day crew finally came back to work, they claimed they’d been up early plowing snow.  Then, they claimed that they hadda’ go to the grocery store, because Kate said there wasn’t anything for dinner. 

But, at least, before they ran off on that errand, one of those guys got a picture of Strumpet.  He claims he had to lean waaaaaaay over from a step stool, and try to get the boat not looking like it’s all twisted up.  (I should remind him about the scaffold.) 

Seems, the guys have a new name for my bonkers project.  Seems, they are gonna’ turn it into a subdivision.  And, call it Tigerwood Acres.

Maybe, so.  Wait’ll I tell ‘em about the cedar strips that go on the interior hull sides… 

Oh yeah, and the rail and style doors up under the foredeck.  That’ll get everybody excited.  Can’t wait.

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