Launch Date

Finished the temporary spray painting hut by 2:00PM today.
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The hut was made entirely from tarps and strapping that was causing clutter under the deck in the backyard. It's made in seven foot sections that are primarily clamped together and can be disassembled and stored for the next boat.
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Now the weather excuse is over. All I need now is time to complete the sanding and varnishing. I'm thinking two weeks to the rowing launch.
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That would be Sunday, June 16.

Time to Ponder

If a Man Farts,
And there is no woman around to tell him that he is a gross pig,
Did he still Fart?

Deal with Weather

All day long, it was supposed to rain today. So I decided to build a series of framed tarp panels so that I could enclose the Tender in the driveway, and still start the final marine varnishing step. The frames were cut from some strapping that I had stored under the deck and I have plenty of tarps lying around.
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By 6:00 PM I had five frames built and two tarps attached, but rigor mortis had the best of me.
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If it is not raining tomorrow, I will finish the tarp enclosure, and get the first coat of varnish on the interior.
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There is a tornado warning in effect for Essex County until 8:30PM tonight.

Last Stages

As you can see, the details are just about done on the Herreshoff Columbia Yacht Tender. Except for shaping the masts that have been laminated, there is virturally no construction left to do.
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I have to sew the sail, but I won't wait for this to be done before launching. The launch will be a rowing event.
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Nothing left but to prepare the surfaces with a 220 grit sanding, then begin the spray varnishing. I also have to epoxy fasten the seats and finalize the centerboard, but these are minor operations.
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June is definitely the month to test drive the Tender.

Starting to Worry

Now I know what they mean about a Full Moon. It definitely brings out the craziness in people.
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I get this email saying that the Peep was going to take one of the Philbrick books that I told you about on his honeymoon.
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Peeps.... Please Pay Close Attention....
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Honeymoons are not for reading the books that are mentioned on this lame Blog!!!
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Honeymoons have absolutely nothing to do with this Blog.
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I used to think that that the people who read this Blog had a modicum of common sense. Now I know that I have to start from scratch.

Distasteful

Now one of my steadiest, most reliable peeps, Stevie Lewis, wants me to bend the rules to make his new dog a POTW.
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What audacity!! Totally out of the question!!
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Plus, I can't imagine how Steve's nostrils taste. Even if animals were eligible, I'd be reluctant in view of this Pup's "bad taste".
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Now.... Jill still has a shot for next week.

Wrongful Supposition

So Tommy McMahon thinks that everytime he chases an idiot off the field at Fenway Park, he should be a Peep of the Week!!!
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Not even close.
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How many times do I have to tell you???
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The only automatic lock on a POTW slot is to get me a bottle of Lagavulin, 16 yr., Single Malt Scotch.
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BTW, I'm running really low.

POTW Week 22

I have no excuse for the tardiness of the Peep of the Week selections today.
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Maybe it was the full Moon.
Maybe the project management business is pre-occupying.
Maybe the Tender obsession has gotten out of hand.
Maybe I'm just a bad person.
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But I'm human.... like the rest of you... and I make mistakes.
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So KMA! Here they are....
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ANNOUNCING
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 22nd week of 2007

Katelyn Nestor
Nathaniel Philbrick
Mark Ferrante
Kelly Clarke
Diane Sawyer
Mark Ryan

Now get off of your high horse and don't squander your obligation to make this world a little bit better today.

Eating Their Own

I just finished reading another book by Nathaniel Philbrick, "In the Heart of the Sea" - the tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. I enjoyed this as much as "Mayflower".
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Philbrick is a talented writer, and his historical narrative is an entertaining read. The Essex shipped out of Nantucket and was rammed and sunk by an eighty foot sperm whale, 3000 miles from the South American coast in the South Pacific.
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The survivors resorted to cannibalism, as they traversed the Pacific in open 25' whaleboats for the next ninety days. Herman Melville loosely used the incident for his depiction of "Moby Dick", although the focus of this story is what happened after the ship sank. The Essex was scuttled in ten minutes.
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Although I've seen companies resort to eating their own in the past few years, the tribulations on that Whaleship were the real thing.

Manhandling by McMahon

Apparently, Tom McMahon, POTY, is making a career out of tackling the hapless nitwits who jump onto Fenway Park during a game.
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Tom, the guy is just trying to have a little fun. It's not like he's Al Queda or even Taliban.
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Why can't you just live and let live???
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Smart Lady

I begin to think, that a calm is not desirable in any situation in life....Man was made for action and for bustle too, I believe.

Abigail Adams, letter to her sister, Mary Smith Cranch, 1784
US wife of John Adams 1764 (1744 - 1818)

Abigail would have had an awesome blog.

Waiting for WhaleEye

So I go over to Ryan Marine to check on the WhaleEye. Sure enough, the propeller shaft is bent with the propeller badly dinged. The parts have been ordered. What was worse was that Chris and Peter Crawford were over there getting their boat launched before mine.
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I had just left Ryan's Tuna Armory, where he has amassed enough fishing supplies to declare war on any hapless fish that dares to be in the same vicinity of the WhaleEye. He has some great lures, squid sets and a killer harpoon system. If I were a tuna, I'd be waving the white flag and seeking terms of armistice.
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It will be an interesting fishing season. We sure as hell don't have any excuses. All we need is the damn boat.