Impediments to Launch

I got the third coat on just before it started to mist. Doubt that the rain will hold off for the fourth and final coat. Which is ok. Since the mast is near complete, I think that I'll get the entire sailing rig done including installing the centerboard before I put the Tender into Marblehead Harbor.
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The sail won't be stitched together soon, so I'll use the smaller sail that Joanne bought me from Doyle Sailmakers for the Pram that I made a couple of years ago. It's a sprit sail also and is probably a better choice to get the feel of the boat with, since it will be a substantially reefed version of the sail size that is designed for the Tender.
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I never used it because I never got around to building the sailing equipment for the Pram. It will come in handy now though.
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Plus, I have to cut and grommet a custom tarp to make a cover so that I can store this thing properly outside on the trailer. I'll make a stand for the mast so that it can be used to slope the interior of the installed tarp.

Plane the Mast.

Late this afternoon, after calls with a couple of customers and some key vendors, I decided to fool around with shaping the Tender mast with the bandsaw and my hand planes. Much to my surprise, I got into a groove and completely tapered and rounded the main mast.
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Using sharp and well tuned hand planes is an extremely tactile and satisfying experience as the fine shavings curl up from the work piece. The Stanley bench plane that I used was my father's and is at least 40 years old, yet performed flawlessly.
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With a little touch up on the belt sander pulley rig tomorrow, the mast will be ready for epoxy coating. Coat three of the sprayed marine varnish is scheduled for tomorrow morning after the mast sanding is complete. If the weather holds, and I can get another coat in by late Saturday afternoon, the test launch could indeed be Sunday.

Ben and Jerry's

It's hard to imagine what could be more satisfying than a pint of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. I just had the Pistachio.
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The only weird thing is that the container says that one pint is four servings.
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I don't think so. There's no way that anyone but me gets any once I start my pint.

Get Out of Bed

Just so you know... while most of you Pathetic Peeps were languishing in your bedsheets on an early Friday morning, I was out getting the second spray coat of marine varnish on the Tender. I don't know why I have to carry the load all of the time!!!
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BTW, it took 57 minutes to set up all of the equipment, do a little sanding, mix the varnish, spray the interior and exterior, clean out the spray gun, put the equipment away, and close the garage door. Call it 1 hour.
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So that's the metric. 1hr/coat of marine varnish.
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At my pay rate of $250/hr, plus $40 for a pint of varnish and thinner, the cost is $290.00. Tack on 10% G&A, and 10% profit, this job gets priced out at $350 bucks.
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So that's $350 Bucks that Nanepashemet Boatbuilders earned while you losers were sleeping. Now what do you think of yourselves??? Pathetic.

Launch Build Up.

Don't get all excited about this, but I got the first spray coat of marine varnish on the interior and exterior of the Tender this afternoon. Three or four more coats and then I will have to actually put it into the water.
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If I get up around 6:00AM tomorrow morning, and get another coat on, that should give me plenty of time to get to my 9:00 AM pricing conference call. After that, I have to go to the Salem Waterfront Hotel for a Sales Meeting. By lunch time, the coat should be dry and I could spray another coat. One more coat on Sat. Morn., and the launch could actually happen this Sunday.
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If you would like to be invited to the launch, feel free to send me an email detailing the worthyness of your request and it will certainly be considered. I might even spring for some Samuel Adams Summer Ales to commemorate the event.

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week - Week 23-07

Another POTW day.
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I had a number of people this week committing a cardinal sin in the Nanepashemet doctrine.... asking to be a POTW. You would think that people wouldn't be so foolish and crass!!
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I even had Steve Lewis questioning the "no animals" rule. He almost had me though when he asked if his puppy could be Peep of the Week if it came up to me with a bottle of Lagavulin strapped to it.
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I have to admit, that was a conundrum.
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Luckily, it didn't actually happen, so I don't have to adjudicate what could have been a loophole in the Peep Body of Rules and Regulations. It's not a good thing to try to trip me up.
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Announcing
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 23rd week of 2007

Tom Chagnon
Jill Tufts
Ray Bates
Steve Lewis
Lauren Rathbone
Mike Chandler

Better luck next time.

POTW Day

Thursday.
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It must be frustrating for you having to wait until the evening before finding out who the honor/disgrace went to.
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But you must be used to frustration.

Electoral Responsibility

Seems like the Presidential campaign is well underway.
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Who do you support?
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As I get older, and debateably wiser, it seems that anyone who wants to run for President is suffering from a serious character flaw - extreme vanity. So, right off of the bat, it's hard to warm up to someone like that.
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In time, I will throw the full impact of the Nanepashemet Blog into supporting one of these obsequious candidates. As you know, it will probably have a major impact on the outcome of the election.
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So, I can't take this responsibility lightly. Naturally, the input of the Peeps will be carefully considered. Right!!!

Nice Try

Quite a few of you decided to take the opportunity to ridicule me because of my confusion with the kill switch on the boat.
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Do you think that bothers me???? Some word missiles from misguided Peeps with bad aim??? HA, Je creche a vous!!
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I've freaked out far worse, on far less, in the past.
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If you want to get under my skin, you'll have to do your homework. For example, I'll be heading to the Gerry tonight to sponsor Dave Bruett's membership, and I suppose you naysayers will have some wimpy editorial comments on that.
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It will take a lot more torpedoes to sink this battleship.

Can't Touch That

We just picked up a ton of business from a major carrier. All of the prep work has kicked in. Hammer Time.

Opening the Season

Those who know me well, know that I'm not a complainer. No whining here. Bitches and Gripes can find another dude.
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But I hate the first time out on the boat every season. There's always some stuff that you forget and you have to get used to a big 3000 lb vehicle bounding up and down in the swells. Usually you get your sea legs after the first time out or so. But you have to go through the first time.
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So tonight, I take the WhaleEye out of the harbor to open it up in Salem Sound. Just getting used to the feel again. I attached the emergency shut off cord and brought the speed up to 25 kts or so. Coming back into Salem Harbor, the battery hatch flapped open, so I put the engine into neutral and then went to close the hatch.
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Naturally I forgot to detach the emergency switch off cord and the engine went off. When the motor wouldn't turn back on, and I was being swept out of the Harbor, I contacted the launch service and asked them to get the Salem Harbormaster out to tow me. After a little negotiation, and trying to contact SeaTow, he reluctantly agreed to tow me to the mooring.
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After a couple of minutes of being towed, I realized that I hadn't reattached the emergency shut off cord. Sure enough, when I reinstalled the cord, the engine turned over. By that time, I realized that my navigational lights were not operational, and when the Harbormaster asked me my name and address, I was sure that I was being written up for non-compliance with the running lights regulation.
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I brought the boat back to the mooring with no further incidents.
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Can you see now why I'm downsizing to oars and sails???

Good Looking Kid

One of Katelyn's best friends, Lauren Rathbone, gave birth to a handsome bruiser, Ethan.
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He's a toughie, But you may have to invest in a more manly hat, Lauren.