Well, we finally got the gunwales on Cataract. They went on pretty easy, except for a wee reverse curve near the bow. We were able to cut the curve into the outwales in place with my wee cordless band saw. Cool tool. You need one of these.

Lora is telling me if I am drilling through the gunwales at the same angle that my square thinks we should. “Up! Up! Down a little! Shoot!”

The stars may be a little over the top, but they are growing on me fast. With a little tarnish they are going to be really sweet. Looks like something you’d see around Boston.

Back to the grindstone–making all the lips on the lids, then making them fit the gutters in the boat. Grind, grind, grind. Sounds like the dentist’s office. Not fun, really, but worth the aggravation.

Meanwhile Roy and I decided he should cut down the sheer line on the decked parts of Brown Betty so the once it is decked, the outwale will run smooth along the entire sheer of the boat, nice and smooth. We think this will make decking the hull a lot easier too.

And just when I thought I was going to get my boat done for next week’s trip. RJ showed up with a wee project. He had what may have been the last existing original micro stern hatch in his 1974 Briggs dory–those ridiculously small. low, teeny hatches that nothing whatsoever would fit in. He finally decided to upgrade. We enlarged the stern hatches of all of Martin Litton’s fleet more than thirty years ago, but the Surprise Canyon has always been in private hands, so it escaped alteration. Until today. Off comes the top. It is really easy to take apart these out -pre-fiberglass boats that were build fast with boat nails.

Cleaning up for the new addition. (Oh look. My new letters arrived for Cataract. Pretty. Scott at A&B really knows how to set type.)

Some nice Port Orford cedar timber framing.

We figured out we can work on two-and-one-third boats in the shop all at once. Surprise Canyon is poking in the doors with a blue tarp to hold the heat in.

The outside view. In the foreground is Stevie Hatch’s aluminum dory, here to be re-gunwaled in ash and walnut. You haven’t lived until you’ve cut the gunwales off a metal boat with a skill saw and a carbide blade. Heavens, what a sound. And only a little terrifying.

Time to hide the pretty new framing with plywood and a bit of glass tape.

Okay, we can put three boats in the shop, but the work pace slows a bit, as the tool you need is always on the other side of the shop and you can’t get there anymore.

Done for the day. RJ and I each have hatch lids on the far bench with the flow coat kicking. And I got all my goddam hatch lids to fit their new gutters. Maybe I’ll get her done for next week’s trip after all.