The Sink or Float Test…results are in!

It was about time we finally see whether this thing could actually float.  The boat had yet to touch water, and it made sense that we find out if this vessel could handle the Potomac before I spent my precious time tinkering with aesthetics this week.

Loading her up for the ride

I realize that the photo above is a clear demonstration of my recklessness (though I prefer maverick-ness), but we needed to transport the boat and being the inpatient human being that I am, I didn't want to delay.  Katy and I loaded her up and crept along Route 29 to Georgetown.  We made it there in one piece without a single car beeping at us or a cop car pulling us over.  

I was getting nervous about how this would turn out.  To see our pride and joy sink to the bottom of the river would have been devestating, not to mention embarassing.  Before we sat on trial, we detoured to Jetties to meet Meggie for lunch.  This really calmed me down.  Meggie always knows what to do in these situations.  The solution to any uncomfortable feeling (jitters, restlessness, hangover, you name it) is usually lunch at Jetties.

My go-to sandwich at Jetties--the Sconset

After I finished my Sconset sandwich, my pulse was back to its normal resting heart rate and it was time to get brave and complete the float or sink test.  We drove down to Jack’s Boat House (post about Jack’s to come), chatted with the crew (who became our audience…stating they were so happy to be a part of this moment), grabbed some paddles in lieu of oars, and as my heart began racing again and pounding louder than the truck horns honking on the Key Bridge, we placed our boat in the water.

…I won’t tell you how it went, but I’ll let you see below…

Katy in front of the Key Bridge with the Kennedy Center, Washington Monument, and of course the infamous Watergate Hotel in the background

 

Me celebrating with a Corona



Great day :)



FYI - I’m holding off on posting more photos until after the Boat Revealing Party this Saturday.  Email/message me if you are interested in joining and I will send you details.

Step #15 — Runners and Rubrails (Part 2)

It was a perfect evening for my friends Meggie and Timmy to visit.  Timmy was back in the old neighborhood visiting for a few days.  He had a brief break in between his semester at law school and his summer job (http://timparrish.blogspot.com/).  And Meggie had a lot to tell me regarding Lady Gaga's new album.  So while I was hosting them, I did what any good friend would do, I used them.  But really, I couldn't imagine doing this step by myself.  I desperately needed their help.

I previously stained the rails to match the runners and seats.  The rubrails, or gunner molding, reinforces the gunwale (top edge of the side of the boat).  I had two long rubrails for the length of the boat, and holding them in place by myself would have been a disaster. 

The Crew

Before I mixed the epoxy glue, I handed these blonde babes some latex gloves.  My mom has a major crush on Timmy, so she gloved up as well.  After I epoxied the rubrails, I had them hold the rails in place while I clamped the rails on.  The glue was oozing, so I'm glad I dressed them in the appropriate gear. 

I kept the clamps on overnight, and the rub rails looked great when I checked on them in the morning.

Step #15 – Runners and Rubrails (Part 1)

You'll have to forgive my short post.  I'm in a two-day conference where laptops are prohibited! It's  21st Century cruelty if you ask me.  I'm writing this before I go into the lion's den...

Holding the runners before I glued them to the boat (...and realizing my hands look funny)

Despite the rain, I’ve managed to get a few more things done under tarps.  I cut three runners out of clear lumber for the bottom of the boat.  I stained them mahogany red and then epoxied them down.  I had to apply pressure to keep the runners from sticking up as the glue dried.  For this, I used only the finest equipment (see photo below). 



I spy a box of wrenches, a magnolia tree, a pogo stick, and beer



 

Curse the Weather!

Last week’s rain set us week behind schedule.  The plan was to get her in the water before the weekend, but we haven’t gotten to work on her since she’s currently outside and every single day has delighted us with a downpour.

I'm determined to get her done this week so we can show her off this Memorial Day weekend.  I just checked the weather forecast



I really shouldn't complain



Step #14— Paint Job

This might be my most colorful blog post to date.  I busted out the paint cans and took a couple photos for you to see.

Before I painted, I covered every inch of the boat with epoxy and let it cure.  When I got back to the boat a few days later, I painted the inner sideboards with a paint brush.

I stained the seats so I could perserve a little bit of the wood grain.

I flipped the boat upside down on the saw horses and used a paint roller to color the outside.

Being the non-patient person that I am, I decided to go ahead and paint the bottom of the inside while the boat was still upside down.  Not trying to downplay Michaelangelo, but it wasn't that hard.

I took this picture while the boat was upside down

I'm going to paint another coat.  Other than that, I'm going to add some rubrails and runners and she'll be ready to launch!

The Surprise

After Katy finished her run the other day, she told me she saw something along the Baltimore Inner Harbor that she wanted to show me.  Not knowing what it was, I thought of every possible charm Charm City could possibly offer—A warehouse?  A fish market?  Feral kittens?  No clue.

As we made our way around a bend in the harbor, Katy pointed out Thames Street and her friend Emily's house.  But that wasn't the surprise.  Then, she said, "And there's a boat someone's building."

Right before my eyes was the frame of a wooden boat.  There was no sign or any indication of who or what company was building it.  It was beautiful and BIG.  Whoever you are, thank you for the inspiration...thank you for sharing the dream.  And of course, thank you Katy :)

The boat's frame

I got closer.  From inside the boat looking at the bow.

From inside the boat looking at the transom

The bow

Katy checking the boat out





Step #13 – (Fiber)glass Bottom Boat

Until now, I had only fiberglassed the seats and the seams on the inside of our boat.  Now that the nails and screws were no longer in the plywood, I could fiberglass the outside (very crucial). 

I laid the cloth across the bottom of the boat and I traced what needed to be cut a few inches from the bottom with a combination square.  That way, I could have a sheet that fit just right and with some overhang.   I also cut strips of the cloth which I epoxied along the outer seams before fiberglassing the entire bottom.

Marking where I needed to cut the cloth.  This photo eerily looks like a coffin or ghost ship.

Gluing the seams

After I glued the edges, I laid our perfect-fit cloth along the bottom and painted the epoxy on from one end to the other.  I used a squeegee to remove any air bubbles under the cloth.  It worked really well and smoothed out the bottom.

Our fiberglass bottom boat

Step #12 – Making Her Pretty

Every time I work on the boat, I can’t help but notice how much more beautiful she gets.    I’m not sure if I’m just being biased…like a parent thinking their baby is the cutest living creature on this earth (I beg to differ 99% of the time).  Luckily, I got some reassurance after I finished sanding.  A power-walking lady took two breaths from her work out to say, "it looks beautiful."  ... unless she was talking about me...and if that was the case, she called me it.

After the fiberglass seams inside the boat cured, it was very sturdy.  I flipped the boat upside down and took out all the metal nails and screws.  The reason why I don’t want any metal pieces inside of the plywood is because normal outdoor heating and cooling cycles may cause the nails to pop out, not to mention possible rusting.

My father went around with a router to trim off the excess or overhang on the boat's edges.  I followed with a belt sander until the outside of the boat looked like one solid piece rather than a plywood board slapped on to the frame. 

I realized I should have taken before and after shots while I was belt sanding, but I was racing against the clock to get this finished (it was, after all, Mother's Day and I had two mothers to tend to– my dear biological mother and the other my beloved mother-like neighbor).  I enlarged the photos below, so you can see in greater detail.




My dad routing the edges

 


After routing and belt sanding

 

Step #11 — Bottoms Up!

While perusing through my blog, my friend at 20 Something Passions said to me, “But, your boat has no bottom.  I guarantee it will sink!”  I was pretty sure she was right, so I didn’t experiment with her hypothesis.  Thanks to my non-paid little helpers for painting underneath the seats, the bottom was ready to be built.

Remember, plywood is typically sold in 8 foot long sheets, while my boat is over 9 feet long.  When I added extensions to my sideboards, I used a method called scarf joining.  I did the same exact thing for the bottom to connect two sheets into one.

While the boat was laying upside down, I placed my scarf-jointed plywood sheet over top.  I had to weigh the board down with items in the garage so I could accurately trace the shape of the bottom.  I traced the edges with a pencil and used a jigsaw to cut it out.

Weighing down the board to trace the bottom

San Miguel and a bag of rice—evidence that a Filipino lives here

Just as the sun was going down, I used little nails to temporarily tack the bottom of the boat down.  (I don't want to leave metal pieces in my boat, so I will take the tacks out after I seal the bottom from the inside).  The unfortunate thing about working on the boat in the suburbs passed 8pm is that I fear angering soccer moms by making too much noise.  If I was working on this in the city, I think the sound of hammering would be soothing compared to screaming sirens; and if I was working in the country, no one would hear me at all.

The bottom is cut out and tacked down!

I took the boat in the garage and sealed the bottom from the inside.  I filleted the bottom just as I filleted the seats in Filleting and Fiberglassing.

We're getting there!

Child Labor

A few months ago, I was asked to babysit the weekend of April 29.  I accepted the offer not minding the fact that I was giving up my weekend.  The closer the weekend got, however, the more I wished I had time to work on the boat. 

As I was babysitting, I watched the kids play with their lego sets and I couldn’t help but think how the boat would really benefit from those little hands at work.  And so, with the help of child labor, I was able to get a few things done (I mean, we were able to get a few things done).

The reality is that the kids were extremely enthusiastic and excited to do this.  The night before, they kept asking me about it, and during the car ride to my parents’ house, they continued to ask are we there yet?  ..To which I responded, by turning the radio up louder.

I realize this picture makes me look like I am in the nude, but I can assure you I was wearing clothes

I did a bit of prepping before I brought them over.  Thinking like a kid, I thought they would enjoy painting more than anything else, so I coated the inside of the boat with epoxy earlier that week.  With the epoxy completely cured, they did have to do some sanding before I could hand them paint brushes.

Kids sanding the inside of the boat

Originally, I was only going to have them paint under the seats (before I attached the bottom), but they worked so diligently I said they could continue painting the inside sideboards.  And so it is revealed...the color of our boat is RED!



I taped off where I didn't want them to paint (since I will be filleting those parts when I attach the bottom).