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Framed Up

Good morning everyone. Yesterday was a wicked busy day. You can't imagine how hard the crew is working. We finished the cover frame yesterday along with all its little touches of padding. Sorry, I did not take a picture at days end. It was incredibly warm here yesterday and that helped. We were ready to spread plastic and actually set the 3 pieces in place ready to roll out and batten down first thing today. So keep your fingers crossed. If the wind is flat calm this morning we will begin the shrink wrap process. We cover the boat with 5440 square feet of plastic which is about the same amount of sail area we carry.

This shrink wrap is pretty amazing stuff and has certainly revolutionized the way we cover the schooner. The days of wooden rafters, reinforced plastic, and nailed battens were good. The covers were always tight and infinitely repairable with a hammer, more battens and more nails. The beauty of shrink wrap is that, done well, the cover always comes out pinging tight. This tightness prevents the wind from rattling the plastic right off the boat. Repairs can made with a little heat and tape or the plastic wrap can be welded back onto itself. This stuff helps us create a bigger workspace under cover than we ever had before. No more walking hunched over in greenhouse temperatures. We have buildings here at home covered in shrink wrap that we took off the boat years ago at seasons end that is still doing fine service.

Pray for no wind. That prayer only comes one day a year for me!

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

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