Category: Uncategorized

Sam and I have been out and about in search of driftwood.

 

There has been some interesting weather these last few weeks: rain-squalls from the north-west, west, south-west and south. The southerly winds, in particular, were truly fearsome, and on one night (early morning) I felt just a little concerned – not so much for the boatshed, as the shack. But I need not have worried; our shack has weathered serious storms for sixty years. No doubt the boatshed will acquire a similar invincibility, if only by association.

Despite the bleak conditions, I managed to get something accomplished each day – slowly, like the tortoise.

Frames for the western wall, vertical end timbers, and inner window frames are all in place. Various uprights are faired and ship-shape, as Dad would say. The time has come to try my hand at installing the native cypress weather-board.

This cypress is such a beautiful wood. I could go on about it – but instead have asked Sam to take a few photos of one floorboard, in detail. There are many such boards.

You can see in the picture gallery that we have three western windows. The central one is actually a ventilation opening, controlled by wooden shutters. It should be especially useful during summer afternoons, when a gentle breeze, or zephyr, springs up in the west. At the southern end of the Wall is the main window, which provides a passing glimpse of the sea, for inspiration. Not too large – it isn’t a picture window: our chief focus will be on the boat in hand. To the north is a vertical window, framing the  olive branches and sturdy trunk of a sheoak.

So, everything is looking good to my eye, after weeks of finicky workmanship. Next posting will describe the weatherboard cladding.

From: ‘American Small Sailing Craft’ by Howard I. Chapelle, First Edition 1961.

Generous friends gave me this heritage item. Solid, heavy, simple, efficient – a treasure. I no longer fear the task of extracting badly hammered nails from Ironbark, if/when the need arises.

 

Westerly gales throughout the week tested our new roof. As far as I can judge, it did not shift by even a hair’s breadth. I would have been disappointed to find any change, however insignificant.

The storms washed up a perfect Helmet (Tiger) Shell. You can see it here, perched on the cypress floorboards.

Sam has recorded the next job: installation of the joists. I have already cut them to size, and placed them in position on the Ironbark bearers. Over the next few days, weather permitting, I will fasten them with (very long) skewed nails.

It is worth noting that once a nail is hammered into Ironbark, it cannot be extracted: it is locked in for life. I have therefore adopted and adapted Dad’s boatbuilding maxim, roughly translated: check your measurements twice (or thrice), before ‘hammering’ once. I hope it will save me a lot of heartache.

The native cypress, when cut with a saw, gives off an exhilirating fragrance, somewhat akin to the smell of Western Red Cedar or Baltic Pine, but more subtle. It is a fraction softer than Oregon, cuts sweetly, and has to be predrilled. Working with such lovely wood is a pleasure, and a privilege.