Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hail Mary

My heart is heavy with sadness as I write this particular blog. Since the beginning of August our dear friend and cook for the last 12 years, Mary Barney, had been struggling with cancer. I have intentionally respected Mary’s privacy and I apologize to you for not sharing any news about Mary’s health sooner. On Monday afternoon Mary passed away very peacefully at home, surrounded by friends and “family”. Her departure was as graceful as the rest of her life. Many people, including Jen, have been doing heroic work to support Mary these last few weeks. Oddly enough Mary was never very excited about transitions though this was about the fastest transition she ever made. And as I struggle to let go of Mary I realize I am terrible with transitions as well. We used to joke about how we liked things just the way they are, thank you very much, so why change what is working already even if it might be less labor intensive. Hard works is its own reward. I used to joke about getting Mary a Cui

Swimming Anyone?

Good morning everyone. Winter is still here in New England though it seems to be taking a rest these days. We have enjoyed a little bit of a thaw. We still have snow covering our field but it is thinning out in the sunny patches. Mary Day rests comfortably in the harbor, bilges dry, cover intact, waiting for the crew to return. Another busy week has passed so I will get you up to speed on everything that is happening here at the global headquarters. Jen is putting the finishing touches on year end taxes. Blockfest 2008 is finally finished. The blocks have received quite the massaging. And while we have the off-white paint out we are starting in on the lifeline stanchions, the davits, and a few other miscellaneous parts. Alex asked me last night how we were doing with our pace. We are doing great but in the back of my mind I know that there is never enough time to do it all. Having perfectionist tendencies is a curse. I want to do it all and know we will never have enough time. There se

Fall Maintenance

Good morning everyone. The sun has been kind to us these past few days and the crew has been spending much time aloft prepping and painting the mast heads and tarring the rig as part of our annual fall maintenance schedule. They were a little silly on tar fumes by the end of the day hence the rat board dance moves. Am I the only one who is reminded of Willy Wonka's little friends at the sight of the crew in their tyvek suits? Schoona-loompas? The smell of tar, after all, is what we sailors live for. Extracted from the stumps and roots of pine trees through dry distillation pine tar will cure what ails you especially some skin conditions and any emotional maladies from being too long away from the sea. All we know for sure is that Mary Day’s rigging is kept hail and hearty by coats of tar mixed with boiled linseed oil. Notice that I specified boiled linseed oil and not raw linseed oil. Tar mix with raw linseed oil will not “kick”. Don’t ask me how I know this… just take my wo