Tender Homestretch

After dinner tonight, the centerboard was fitted. I had to resaw it and plane and sand down to the bare wood, so it will have to be removed and epoxied again.
~
The mast is also almost done, but needs to be fitted into the mast support and mast limber. To me as a neophyte sailor, the mast seems much larger than it should be.
~
When the centerboard finish is cured, I will reinstall it and permanently epoxy the first bench seat. The back seats will remain loose for removal, but will be sufficiently wedged between the centerboard case and the transom.
~
Should be no problem getting to a rowing launch this weekend.

Right on Track

Got a great email from a carrier this morning looking for a proposal. Nice way for Nanepashemet Project Management to start the week.
~
I thought this week would be a big one anyway, but now it might be huge.
~
Could mean trouble for the Tender launch!!

Further Tender Details

Early this morning, I got the fourth and final coat of interior marine varnish on the Tender. Then I sanded the mast and applied a coat of epoxy to it. After finishing this by 11:00 am, I just had enough time to shower and go with Joanne, Ryan and Courtney for a harbor cruise.
~
Seems like kid Nestor is ready to pop. Courtney has carried to term which is good. I'm really interested in seeing this kid make an appearance.
~
In the afternoon, I took down the finishing hut, and turned the Tender upside down with the help of Tommy O.
~
I've decided to get the centerboard fully operational before a launch, and the centerboard doesn't fit smoothly into its case. So I filed the bottom centerboard opening smooth, but I'll have to substantially plane down the centerboard and refinish it with epoxy before it can be reinstalled.
~
By Saturday, I'll be officially ready for a rowing launch. The Sailing launch is planned for July 4th when Mike comes home again.

Final Sopranos

I'll admit that I was wrong on how "The Sopranos" would end. I was sure that Tony was going to get whacked, and I had predicted that his psychiatrist would do it in self-defense.
~
I kind of liked the way it ended though, with the former boss Junior lapsing into oblivion, giving the precedent for Tony to gently continue with the threat of a criminal suit on his mind.
~
It was a good series.
~
Now both "Rome" and "The Sopranos" are over. These were shows that I looked forward to seeing all week. Looks like I'll be experiencing a little gap.
~
There is a new series coming in a seven episode HBO miniseries based on the David McCullogh bestseller John Adams and starring Paul Giamatti. But that doesn't start until sometime in 2008.

Fresh Water Plans

I'll be taking the Tender up to Lake Umbagog on the Northern New Hampshire-Maine border this summer as soon as we can get away.
~
There is a nice boat ramp up there and the scenery is beautiful.
~
Catching a fish would be a bonus.

Raised Expectations

Anytime you expect people to act in a certain manner... and they don't, it is always a source of stress and strain.
~
Better to have no expectations and not be disappointed.

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.
~
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.
~
I never used it because I never got around to building the sailing equipment for the Pram. It will come in handy now though.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
The only weird thing is that the container says that one pint is four servings.
~
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!!!
~
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.
~
So that's the metric. 1hr/coat of marine varnish.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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!!
~
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.
~
I have to admit, that was a conundrum.
~
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.
~
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.
~
It must be frustrating for you having to wait until the evening before finding out who the honor/disgrace went to.
~
But you must be used to frustration.

Electoral Responsibility

Seems like the Presidential campaign is well underway.
~
Who do you support?
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
Do you think that bothers me???? Some word missiles from misguided Peeps with bad aim??? HA, Je creche a vous!!
~
I've freaked out far worse, on far less, in the past.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
I brought the boat back to the mooring with no further incidents.
~
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.
~
He's a toughie, But you may have to invest in a more manly hat, Lauren.

A Name for the Tender

I've received a number of questions regarding a choice of names for the Herreshoff Columbia Tender lately.
~
Fair enough.
~
It's been tempting to name it "Nanepashemet" after the famous blog and equally renowned project management company.
~
Unless somebody suggests a better name in the next week and a half, then that's the way it will go. But I'm open to advise from the Peeps.
~
I've already disclosed to Tyler Gill that we will be foregoing the christening with champagne for a quality bottle of Samuel Adams Summer Ale.

Fair Warning to Fish

The WhaleEye hit the water today, sealing the fate of hapless tuna, stripers, and bluefish who are now in the twilight weeks of their short fish lives. Unless another mechanical mishap occurs, we will be mercilessly pursuing our finned prey by the weekend.

Close Call

I know that most of you Peeps are awestruck by my engineering prowness. Being able to construct the Boat finishing shelter in only one weekend has leveraged literally hundreds of emails - all expressing admiration, shock and awe.
~
Well I almost let you down.
~
With a steady rainfall all last night, I couldn't believe the amount of water that had collected on the top of the tarp. I literally couldn't push it up from below, and had to get a ladder and bail the collected rainfall from the top of the hut.
~
If the shelter had collapsed, it would have been a public relations disaster!!! Maybe the end of the Blog as we know it!!!
~
Whew....
~
As I continue to advise you, I am only a man... not a Greek God, or Marvel Comics Superhero. Even I can have failings and frailties.

Good Morning Asshole

Can't Good Morning America find another story other than a selfish personal injury lawyer, Andrew Speaker, who has no problem screwing other people? Like that's never happened before.
~
This one has a new twist though. Sneaking on a commercial airliner with Tuberculosis.... he didn't mean to put other people at risk. What an asshole.
~
I hope every passenger on that plane gets their own personal injury vulture/lawyer, and sues poor Andrew for pain and suffering.
~
Now his Mommy and Daddy are fighting his battles for him. If one other person gets TB transmitted by him, the whole family, as well as Diane Sawyer, should swing.
~
We need some real news.

Launch Date

Finished the temporary spray painting hut by 2:00PM today.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
By 6:00 PM I had five frames built and two tarps attached, but rigor mortis had the best of me.
~
If it is not raining tomorrow, I will finish the tarp enclosure, and get the first coat of varnish on the interior.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
Peeps.... Please Pay Close Attention....
~
Honeymoons are not for reading the books that are mentioned on this lame Blog!!!
~
Honeymoons have absolutely nothing to do with this Blog.
~
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.
~
What audacity!! Totally out of the question!!
~
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".
~
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!!!
~
Not even close.
~
How many times do I have to tell you???
~
The only automatic lock on a POTW slot is to get me a bottle of Lagavulin, 16 yr., Single Malt Scotch.
~
BTW, I'm running really low.

POTW Week 22

I have no excuse for the tardiness of the Peep of the Week selections today.
~
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.
~
But I'm human.... like the rest of you... and I make mistakes.
~
So KMA! Here they are....
~
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".
~
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.
~
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.
~
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.
~
Tom, the guy is just trying to have a little fun. It's not like he's Al Queda or even Taliban.
~
Why can't you just live and let live???
~

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.
~
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.
~
It will be an interesting fishing season. We sure as hell don't have any excuses. All we need is the damn boat.

Tender Homestretch

So Close.

I'm not going to start varnishing until the masts are done though.

Then we'll see if this floats

Lobster Rolls

Joanne went to Marblehead Lobster yesterday and bought seven live 1 1/2 pounders for the dinner we had with all of the kids.
~
I didn't have one, because I wanted to make sure everyone had a chance, but the next day, I took a leftover one from the refridgerator, shucked it, and made two of the best lobster rolls ever consumed on a Memorial Day.
~
After removing all of the meat from the shells, I cut the lobster into bite size pieces and mixed it with Real Hellman's Mayonaise. adding a little salt and pepper.
~
The Lobster was over-stuffed into two Nissen Hot Dog rolls, then wolfed down by me. I broke out some Jameson's Irish Whiskey on the rocks for the occasion. A most memorable meal.
~
It's three hours later and I'm still satisfied.

Violation of Quiet Enjoyment

"Jump Down, Turn Around, Pick a Bale of Cotton.
Jump Down, Turn Around Pick a Bale of Hay.
Jump Down Turn Around, Pick a Bale of Cotton.
Jump Down, Turn Around Pick a Bale of Hay.
Oh Lord, Pick a Bale of Cotton.
Oh Lord, Pick a Bale of Hay.
Oh Lord, Pick a Bale of Cotton.
Oh Lord, Pick a Bale of Hay."
~
Tommy O' Shea, Linda, Joanne and I apparently pissed off some neighbors by our late night adaptation of this song as performed by Steve Martin and Cast in one of my favorite films, "The Jerk".
~
I thought we were pretty good.

Memorial Day Reading

I remember that Memorial Day mean't going to Union Street in Lynn to watch the parade. The highlight was always when the Scottish Bagpipers marched by.
~
Haven't done that for awhile.
~
I'm reading a book called "Mayflower" by Nathaniel Philbrick. The Pilgrims were a pretty brutal lot. There is something about that primeval time that is very attractive. It's interesting how the mix of philosophy, economics and techology converged in a mix of races and cultures. It almost seems like people are exactly the same as now, but the environment and technology dictated the cadence of life.
~
Once again, it is the Native American Indian culture that holds the greatest fascination for me. Although, Philbrick doesn't mention the great sachem, Nanepashemet. He is more concerned with Massasoit and his son, Metacomet, or "King Philip" as he is widely known.

Herreshoff Columbia Launch Punchlist.

Today, he interior was sanded and a final epoxy coating was applied. Even though the boat looks finished and ready to launch, there is still a ton of work to do....
1 Day

• Oar Blocks attached and fitted
• Centerboard attached to case
• Rudder hardware attached to the transom
• Rudder attached to the Tiller

1 Day

• Mast constructed and shaped
• Mast fitted into first seat

4 Days

• 1st coat of marine varnish sprayed
• Seating attached to hull
• 2nd coat of marine varnish sprayed
• 3rd coat of marine varnish sprayed
• Hull turned over and sanded with 220 grit
• Exterior coat of Marine varnish sprayed
• Final coat of marine varnish sprayed interior and exterior

2 Days

• Sail Stitched together
• Rigging applied to mast and sail

That's eight work days before the Herreshoff Columbia Yacht Tender touches the salt in Marblehead Harbor. It won't be easy to squeeze these work days in before the 4th of July, but that is the goal.

Sanding Resolve

OK, I'm ready.
~
It's 9:30 AM. I'll fire up the sander and do nothing but sand the interior of the tender until 2:00 PM. Then I'll shower and have a Sam Adams Summer Ale.

WhaleEye Delay

The WhaleEye is delayed. Mark Ryan says we have a bent propeller shaft. I saw where one of the propeller blades was dinged last year. Apparently we hit something and the shaft has to be replaced.
~
That kills the weekend for Mikey. We'll be ready when he comes home for the 4th of July, though.
~
Actually, I don't mind that much, because I'd like to spend some time organizing the interior and fixing the hatch hinges. Still waiting for the Leaning Post that is on backorder from Boater's World. This will replace the helm chairs which have never been that comfortable and are actually not functional when the boat is underway.
~
So more work on the Tender is in store until the family gets together at 4:00 this afternoon.

Tender Details

I'm really stalling on the dog work sanding. I know that going in, so don't start in on me.
~
Made the cap on the centerboard with the pulley installed, drilled the hole for the drain through the keel and brass trim and epoxied the rudder. It doesn't sound like much, but it took a lot of standing around and aimless staring.
~
I also installed the trailer plate on the trailer.

Saturday Morning Stress

I'm trying to have coffee this morning in the same room with Katelyn and Joanne. Sorry if I have to breathe. They get pissed off at anything I say. And I haven't farted or anything.
~
BTW, it's a sure sign that Kate spent the night with us here in Marblehead when I get up and find a Magic Hat 9 opened with two sips taken out of it. A fine beer wasted.
~
Thank God it wasn't a glass of Lagavulin.

A Peter Crawford Tale

This unlikely story has been circulated by Peter Crawford. Since he is a former POTW, I feel compelled to pass this on....
~
On a warm May day, paparazzi roaming the boatyards in Historic Marblehead
came upon a scene never witnessed by neither man nor beast. Chuck Bridges,
retired airline pilot, was actually seen in dirty old clothes, with latex
goves, mussed up hair, and blotches of blue bottom paint all over him. The
photographer was drawn to the scene, when he blood curdlling moans coming
from under the boat, as Chuck was attempting to roll on bottom paint with a
disintegreated foam roller. Others in the boatyard were aghast, saying that
Chuck always showed up to "watch" others work on their boats, neatly attired
in khaki pantrs and an oxford cloth blue and white stripe Brooks Bros
shirts. It is well known that Chuck has always been allergic to anything
with the word "work" attached to it. And spends most of his days loitering
outside the local Starbucks, where he tells stories about his childhood in
rural Kentucky, where he was raised by sheep. Could this be a new Chuck, or
maybe just a Confused Chuck. Only time will tell.

Memorial Day Weekend

With the three major balls firmly in in air, I covered a sales meeting at the Hotel, then started the Memorial Day weekend. Mark Ryan called to say that launching the WhaleEye is doubtful, but I still have hope. I bought the first motor from him when he got the Honda dealership and had to remind him that I'm his best customer.
~
It doesn't matter.
~
Boat mechanics in Marblehead have you at their mercy. It will happen when it happens, and there's nothing you can do about it. Every year it's the same. They say anything to you, but you get it when you get it. Someday, I want a job like that.
~
So I took it out on the Tender. I fiberglassed the lead on the rudder, and mortised the brass hardware into the oarloacks. Also epoxy glued the centerboard case into the keel. The Tender is now water tight.
~
Kate is in Marblehead, and we're waiting for Mike to come in from DC. It's going to be a great weekend.

Peep of the Week - 21 of 2007

The POTW selections were thrown off by Joanne's Sundance Staff shower for Staci. I didn't think that I would have any role, but I had to man the grill and then I had to handle all of the "oohs and ahhs" surrounding the display of the yacht tender.

To make the Peep Choices in the midst of all that would have been way too stressful. So, once again, I have been tardy with the crucial announcement. Shit Happens... Deal with IT!

Announcing
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week - 21

Mark Ryan
Andrew Card
Nancy Pelosi
Samantha Larson
Mike Nestor
Rick Rockett

Thanks for not freaking out.

More Staci

What's it going to take to get Staci Mallette married off to Brian Butler????
~
As yet another bridal shower.... obviously.
~
Joanne hosted a great get together for the Sundance Pre-School staff with her culinary skills, but I inadvertently carried the day when I rolled the Yacht Tender out of the garage by popular demand.
~
Who would have thought that the Tender was going to be a chick magnet!!!
~
If I had known this, I would have finished the damn thing a lot sooner.

Fine Public Administration

Apparently, this guy, Dan Grabauskas, is responsible for the improvements that I observed at the RMV yesterday.
~
Nice job Dan.
~
He's now running the MBTA. Maybe I'll try the bus.

http://www.massinc.org/index.php?id=500&pub_id=1770&bypass=1

Massachusetts RMV

Man...
~
If you want a slice of American demographics, go to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. That is the land of the General Public. Multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-multi. It's a good chance to see how the other half lives. Or make that the other 80%. Not many of us middle aged white guys left.
~
I remember when the Registry was the place that you went to when you wanted to be treated badly by political hacks with no work ethic and a bitchy attitude.
~
That wasn't the case today.
~
The people were given a number when you came in, which printed a pretty accurate projection of the time that you had to wait. Also... no lines anymore. You sit down on a fairly comfortable bench and wait until your number is called and listed on a screen. Plus, the lady who handled my Trailer registration was downright hospitable. Even nice.
~
An entirely enhanced registry of motor vehicles experience.
~
I walked out with a register boat trailer and trailer plates. Society is making strides.

High and Low Technology

As the Vice President of IT at Sundance Pre-School, I had my hands full tonight as I had to do a system recovery procedure on Joanne's computer. It was taking forever so I left around 9:15 PM. Since I have a meeting in Boston at 8:00 AM tomorrow, I won't be able to follow up in the morning. Hope nothing is broken. I like my VP of Facilities Management role there better.
~
The Boat Trailer assembly took longer than expected today, and I had to make a run to Marblehead Ace Hardware for some missing nuts and bolts. I still can't get over the shock of having to manufacture a trailer.... and that Boater's World had the stones to ship me boxes of steel, nuts and bolts, and called it a trailer. Won't be making that mistake again.
~
It actually doesn't look too bad, and will be functional for using the Tender in Marblehead Harbor and NH lakes.
~
Now I have to get it registered to tow on the road by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Bonus Time

My morning business meeting has been postponed and it is a good time to catch up on paperwork and accounting. So I think I'll spend a couple of hours on the Boat Trailer assembly.

Booyah

Jim Cramer says that he is celebrating the recent stock market surge by switching from Johnny Walker Red to Lagavulin 16 year old, single malt scotch.
~
I'm impressed.

Mooring is Ready

Went down to the Harbor today to check on my mooring. We are in good shape for a WhaleEye launch this week.
~
BTW, A Blackbird visited the feeder yesterday. Just one. It had a black body and a purple head. Maybe it's a sign.
~
Right now there is a beautiful red cardinal out there. As pretty as a cardinal is, it's song .... a distinctive, high pitched "chew, chew, chew"... is just as neat.
~
I don't know how a Blackbird sounds.

Soprano's Wrap Up

Two more episodes left. I'm thinking that Tony gets whacked.
~
How else can the series end?
~
I predict that his Shrink knocks him off in self defense when he tries to murder her for knowing too much.

It's All Good

Keep thinking those good thoughts.
~
The Law of Attraction guarantees that your ass will get kicked if you don't.
~
It's going to be a great week, right?
We're gonna make some money, right?
We're gonna close some business, right?
We're gonna get along and appreciate each other, right?
~
Right on.

Some Assembly Required

I finally got a little work done on the trailer.
~
If I didn't have a metal grinder and heavy mallet, I would be out of luck. Also, far more mechanical skill is needed than I anticipated. I really didn't expect this to be a project in and of itself.... I naively thought I was buying a boat trailer by mail order and not cartons of steel and bolts.... but it is what it is.
~
There are four or five hours easy in this effort, which I had not planned for.

Good Song

Dropkick Murphy's

Finch Alert

So far on the feeder, the usual culprits.... lots of Sparrows, Chickadees, Mourning Doves, Cardinals and Blue Jays. Also some Tufted Tit Mouses (Tit Mice???).
~
Although I have seen a few House Finches, they have been rare visitors and the Goldfinches have not made any appearance at all.
~
Of Course, the pig squirrels are constant visitors... the guests who wouldn't leave.
~
Why the picture of the trailer? Because I wouldn't be sitting on this couch lamenting the lack of finches if it wasn't raining and I could be assembling the trailer. That should have been able to go unsaid.

Stapleless Plywood Clamps

For the new boat, I will use a stapleless clamping method of plywood clamps secured against the frames, with a wedge against the frame and a wedge against the strip. The strips will be persuaded into place by the use of a heat gun with the system.

Nice Dinner

So I have to admit that Three Cod Tavern was pretty good for dinner tonight.... except for the fact that the owner was blatantly hitting on my daughter, Katelyn, right in front of Joanne and I. It would have been funny if it wasn't my daughter.

Stepping Out

Kate dropped by and wants to go to dinner with us.
~
We're heading for the Three Cods in Marblehead, which was terrible when Tyler Gill and I had lunch there. But the two Nestor women want to go so I have no say.
~
I'm pretty sure that Katelyn is not picking up the check.

Boogie Down

If you haven't tried a Neti Pot, then you can't know the liberating feeling of having your sinuses completely rinsed and drained.
~
It's not fair for me to keep this secret to myself.
~
All of my Peeps should experience the thrill of mucus free breathing. Your nostrils will thank you for using a Neti Pot.

Pop Culture

What is the popular fascination with the personal lives of people like Joey Butafuco and Anna Nicole Smith? Why does the media focus on people who act on the outskirts of propriety? I suppose it is entertaining to fantasize on the possibility of acting with outrageous abandon, but it gets tiresome to see characters like this constantly on mainstream TV.
~
Why can't the focus be on renegade boatbuilders, or wireless telecom contractors, or basement tile layers? I suppose that will never happen, but that would be truly fascinating. I mean, I could get into that.

Unlikely Committment

A rainy Saturday.
~
I told Mike that I'd like to have the Tender done for a launch when he comes home next weekend, but I'll need a combination of good weather and lots of time. With Nanepashemet Telecom getting red hot, and meetings scheduled throughout next week, it appears that I shouldn't have opened my mouth. If the WhaleEye is in the water, it won't matter though.
~
I'll have to bug Ryan Marine to put the WhaleEye on the Salem Harbor mooring.
~
In the meantime, I might as well tile the basement today.

UMASS Club

Had lunch at the UMASS Club today on Franklin Street in Boston with DiMatteo and Elsier. Great views, good food. I'm glad that Ryan told me about it. The only trouble is that those guys now have my club number.

Unimaginable

So I get a series of comments from Lindsey K. asking why she was named a POTW last week.
~
Very annoying... even retroactively so.
~
Loyal Blogger Peeps know that such information can never be disclosed. It would be like anti-matter ripping a hole in a parallel universe.
~
I can't be held responsible.

Logical

Anything too stupid to be said is sung.
- Voltaire

Since I don't sing too well, the Blog will have to suffice.

Week 20 - Peep of the Week

For the first time in a long time, all of the POTW selections are males. Don't make a big thing out of it!! It's just the way it happened. I'm not going to pick a woman just to be politically correct! That would be so un-Nanepashemet-like. Why can't we all just get along????

ANNOUNCING...
NANEPASHEMET PEEPS OF THE WEEK for the 20th Week of 2007

Bill Hillegas
Pat Piscatelli
Steve Lewis
Peter Crawford
Timothy, the Gay French guy at the Paris Whiskey Bar
Tony Blair

Next week I will take care to see if any women meet the criteria, which bears repeating here due to the enthusiasm by which some peeps seem to feel when they are honored/disgraced.

To be a Nanepashemet POTW, one has to meet one or a combination of the following conditions...

• Do something Annoying
• Do something Inspiring
• Not be Dead
• Not be an Animal
• Have given me a bottle of Lagavulin 16 yr old single malt scotch over the past week

The Lagavulin condition is automatic. A side rule is that if you ask to be a POTW, you can never be selected, unless I forget later on.

BTW, I'm starting to run a little low on Lagavulin.

POTW Time

Keep your pants on. We'll be annointing the chosen this evening.

Marblehead Gunning Dory

With the Herreshoff Columbia Yacht Tender coming to a conclusion, I have to get serious about the next project. Even though I was set on a Maine Peabod, I've always liked this dory which was popular in Marblehead at the turn of the last century, and is known as the Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory, as drawn by John Gardner.
~
Ryan was saying that my next project should be a boat that can be motorized, and could be used to flyfish in close to the rocks.
~
The dory design has a flat bottom and this version has a motor well. I can envision three people in this boat rather comfortably, with a fishing station in the bow and stern and the middle reserved for the "guide" handling the motor.
~
I would modify the design by decking the bow and stern to be conducive to flycasting, changing the motor well so that the shaft and propeller could be tilted back up clear of the bottom, and rounding the hard chines so that I could plank the sides with cedar strips.
~
The boat is 18' long and has nice lines. Some feel that this is the culmination of the dory line. I've seen this boat at Grace Oliver Beach in Marblehead and at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle.
~
Bill Hillegas was freaked out that I knew so much of this boat when we were on a business trip in Seattle and saw it on Union Lake, and when I told him that I had a set of plans in my room, I knew that he thought I was bullshitting him. So I went up to the room and brought the plans down to the bar.
~
I wish that I had bet him money. He couldn't believe it.
~
Maybe this will be the choice.

Feeling the Heat

Memorial Day heralds as the first real day of summer.
~
I'm going out on a limb to say that the Tender will be ready. It would be great to have it done before Mike comes home from Washington. Looking forward to trolling for stripers by rowing close to the shoreline and islands.
~
Ryan is already showing tuna fever - practicing Bimini knots and stuff. Mark Ryan at Ryan Marine says that the WhaleEye will be in the water by the end of the month. We have to take on the Maddie's Anglers in the Tuna Tournament.
~
This is going to be the year.
~
Adding sushi to the menu... not just the daily specials.

Waiting for Someday

This is an Apha dory that I plan to build at a future date. I hope God gives me the time. I'm thinking of building it in cedar strips rather than marine plywood.

KMA

More to Come.

~

I haven't even started yet.

Cleveland - Minnesota

Lucky Mike is sitting in Cleveland at the Indians - Twins game in the 2nd inning with Cleveland leading 7-2.

Incontrovertable Evidence

I can't get into "Dancing with the Stars" this year. I was rooting for Emmit Smith last year, but nothing moves me this time. Probably another bit of evidence on the irrefutable fact that I' m not GAY!!!

Running Out the String

Remember Chris Crawford? The Peep who got screwed out of the marathon win by the Kenyan who got the big head start?
~
Well his luck just isn't changing.
~
His wife, Sarah, made things so much worse by going on a Lagavulin binge at a whisky bar in Paris.
~
Nice Sarah. Although if you are going to kick Chris while he's down, I have to admit that Lagavulin in Paris is a pretty classy way to do it.

It's the OCEAN!

Does it irk you when people refer to the Atlantic Ocean as "the Pond" ? Me too, but in the most recent case, the perpetrator is one of my personal favorites, so I'll have to issue a pass.
~
Would the Pacific be termed "the Lake"? Extremely irksome.
~
Just don't do it again.

Note to Self

Remind me never to get a letter of recommendation from Buck Johnson.

A Day for Mother

So the Red Sox pulled off a thrilling 6 run, 9th inning rally to beat the Orioles today! Lucky for me that Joanne was watching some Lifetime, made for women, Chick flick instead. Otherwise, all of the excitement might have caused a spike in my high blood pressure.
~
Happy Mother's Day.

Tender Homestretch

The major structural components are done on the Herreshoff Columbia Tender except for the sails, masts, and tiller. I'm waiting for oar lock hardware to arrive from Jamestown Distributors.
~
Now the real dog work begins - final coating and epoxy sanding, permanent attachment of floor board and seats, and spray varnishing. These steps will determine the quality of the overall project, so I can't rush it.
~
I'm really happy with the lines of the boat.
~
I know that the next project was supposed to be a Maine Matinicus Peapod, but wouldn't it be cool to build another Tender which I could us to race various worthy Peeps, kids, friends and grandkids? The Peapod could serve this purpose, but we'll need a small fleet of the same Tender class.
~
If you would like me to build one for you, kindly send a check for $20k to Nanepashemet Boatbuilders and be prepared to wait for two years or so. Seriously, if there was enough demand, I would open a loft and do it full time, but I doubt that the market would bear the final price that all of the labor requires.

Tiling Slowly

With all of the emphasis on the Tender, the basement tile job has admittedly taken second position.
~
Mike is concerned that the basement will be in inoperable when he comes home from DC on Memorial Day and the 4th of July, but I have a contingency plan in place. we'll get stuff temporarily back in place while he is around.
~
Since I have to rip out cabinets, the tender is nearing completion, and the fishing season looms, even I would be nuts to tell you that the basement would be done by the Fourth.
~
But it doesn't hurt to try.
~
BTW, it is incredibly painful to lay tile if you don't do it everyday. Working on your hands and knees and stretching to trowel uses muscles that scream from disuse.

Mother's Day Thoughtfulness

So I ordered a Neti Pot from Amazon for Joanne for Mother's Day. The gift of clean and drained sinuses. I hope she doesn't get all emotional.

A Good Day

DId you ever have one of those days when everything seemed to work out pretty good? Today was one for me.
~
Got some quality time sanding and epoxying the tender in the morning, was accepted for membership in the UMASS Club on Franklin St. in Boston, had a good field meeting at cell and switch sites on the Cingular Energy effort, received more RFP's for the Coast Guard job, took delivery on the final marine varnish from NewFound Woodworks, and paid my dues at the Maddie's Angler Club.
~
A rich full day.
~
If this continues, I will shortly be formulating solutions for world peace.

Week 19 POTW

I have to hurry with the selections tonight, because I have to go to the Maddies Anglers Club meeting on the upper deck of Maddies Sail Loft. A trip to Maddies is always risky and I want to make the selections when my faculties are suitably sharp.

Announcing...
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week - week 19 of 2007

Lindsay Kepnes
Jill Phillips
Dale Johnson
Jim Ouellette
Will Murray
Janet Doyle

I'll check back with you after the Maddies Meeting.

Squirrel Antidote

You remember Isabelle? Our other cat who is always such a bitch to Ronick?
~
Well she proved her worth this morning as she kicked some freaking squirrel ass on the deck.
~
I love you so much, Izzy.

Making Tender Time

Before I meet the team at the cell site tomorrow, I'm going to try to get some Tender work in. The idea of doing a little after business is over isn't happening. It's just too tiring to haul everything out and get a fine layer of sawdust on me in the evening.
~
If I can coat some parts with epoxy, or get some sanding in before the morning shower, maybe I can make some weekday progress. I'm getting antsy, because I can see the conclusion of this project. The current goal is to completely finish before Kid Nestor decides to be born.