Slow-Mo-Shun

That was the name of my neighbors boat when I was growing up! Always got a chuckle out of that. :-)  Anywho, it describes how this project is progressing. At least we're headed 'in a direction'.

Placed the bow eye and made up a backing plate for it. I need to locate where the floor of the chain/rope locker will sit.

Bow eye placed.

The backing plate is 3/8" aluminum and it's the biggest I could make it due to the narrowness of the stem.

Aluminum backing plate.

I've added another layer of reinforcement to help spread the load.

A few weeks ago we lost our little cat, Shadow. She was our 'Boat Cat' and had a few adventures aboard our 25' express cruiser. I had hoped she'd live long enough to go for a ride on this boat but it wasn't meant to be.

Shadow on the Rideau Canal 2006

I saved a bit of her fur and planned to make it part of the new boat. I know, what a suck, but she was our companion for 13 years. I stuck the fur in the bow where it can be seen through the hatch into the void space below the anchor line/chain locker.

Reinforcement for bow & Shadow's fur & Gold Coin!

I know sailors are a superstitious lot. Sail boats have coins placed under the mast for good luck but this boat won't have a mast step so IIRC there's a custom to add a coin to the stem of the boat. I have a Sacagawea 'Gold Dollar' (not real gold, can't afford that) that'll go just inside the stem, also where it can be seen.

The inscription on the left is a quote of mine I use as a signature on a lot of the boat building forums.

"It's not the boat "you built" until:

1, You've bled on it,
2. You've sworn at it,
3. You've sweated over it,
4. You've cried beside it, and
5. Threatened to haul the POS outside and burn it!"

This morning I used my roof mounted electric winch to 'Fly In' bulkhead 'B'.

Bulkhead B coming aboard

Love that winch. Sure saves a lot of aching back muscles.

Frames A and B are now just sitting there. I have to figure out how they'll line up etc. before gluing them into place. I may be getting a bit ahead of myself but you follow through on these 'thoughts' as they happen sometimes!  :-)

Frame A & B sitting in place

I may have to set the main bulkhead, Frame E before I glue these first two in place as everything will take it's measurements of of it. That'll be a job, it's in one full piece and probably weights upwards of 100 lbs! Time to charge the winch battery!

That's it for now. Thanks for looking in.

Standby....