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...

We are Nuts

Good morning everyone. Well I just had to say it before you did. Yes, we are truly nuts. Now we have gone and added one more adventure to our already full lives. As you can see she is some cunnin'. We have named her Colby. We had a sign... literally. We were in the car brainstorming names on the way to get her at WalMart (yes, you heard it right) and there at the Waterville exit was a sign for Colby College. Colby just happens to be dear Mary's alma mater. It is also the name of one of my favorite ledges in Jericho Bay, the Colby Pup. It just seemed to fit just like the way she came to us. Nothing about our Sunday was going to be different than any other except that I just happened to be helping a friend get her generator back in the barn while Jen and the kids met her new puppy Sherman. They fell in love... so easy to do. We called and there were had two pups from the same litter available... no commitments yet. We had been having the long family debate for weeks about the k...

Darkness and Light

Good morning everyone. OK, so this blog does not have a whole lot to do with schooners or windjammers or sailing vacations so if you want to leave now I will not be offended. Today is the winter solstice, as you know, the shortest amount of daylight in our calendar year here in the northern hemisphere. Of course it is the summer solstice on the other side of the equator. So I guess if you wanted to celebrate the summer solstice you wouldn't be at all in the wrong. I would applaud your ability to see outside the box. Map from Wikipedia commons Living and sailing in the mid latitudes (remember, Maine is half way to the North Pole) as we do, we experience a balance that spans a year's time, maybe many years' time. To feel the darkness of winter creeping quietly into our homes is not as bad it may appear from the outside. This is our season to rest... emotionally if not physically. We know it takes more physical energy to live and work here in winter. But when the sun goes down...