Step by step

Well here we are back at it again. When I walked away last time I had just roughed out one side of the four aft frames, #'s 5, 6, 7 and 8. Well today I spent cleaning them up and getting them trimmed to their lines and then flipped them over and drew out their twins. After another go round with my old all metal and VERY heavy skill saw, that was my dads' when I was a kid, a belt sander and a jig saw along with some sandpaper for hand sanding, it was time to trim and clean these new additions to the framework of my Navigator.

Frame pieces for #5 and #6

Frame pieces for #7 and #8

The next time I get over to my son's garage I'll begin the transom and if there is time I'll start on the stem. So for now I sit and study my plans and comb through the build logs and blogs of those who have completed their boats looking for ideas and tips on how they met the challenges of building a boat with their own hands.

So, until next time,

Geoff

Well It's about time to get started....

So on with it already!

This will all take place at my son's place in their back garage of humble means for a humble, supposed boatbuilder. So here's my humble boat shop.

It's about the size of a one car garage and there is also the back yard where I have set up my ever temporary saw mill with sawdust collection box.
  There is a fire pit back there too so all my scraps at the end won't go to waste. I've also inherited that very large pile of 2x4's for use if they will pass inspection. So far some of them have become sawhorses.

I've gotten started by marking out and cutting the aft frames for the starboard side. Just rough cut at this point so they will need triming down to the line next. Then just flop them over and mark out the port side frames.

John Welsford has a very good set of plans. These are for "my" Navigator.

Drawn in one piece instead of two pieces.

Frame #5, 6, 7, 8 still needing trimming

Rough cut and needing much care and trimming. I will tackle that probably at the next outing. It only used up half of one sheet of 3/8" sanded BCX ply. The other half will be used to create the matching frames.

While I still had the desire to get something done, I started laying out some lumber for the centerboard.

Longleaf yellow pine, very hard and heavy, mixed with regular pine.

I am intending to purchase some Douglas fir for the mast and spars it'll just have to wait for finances to be available. I plan on doing as much as I can whenever I can and there is materials on hand. I have plans, epoxy and some lumber and plywood, so let's begin.

Still visible in the background is debris left over from Hurricane Michael and the roofers who only just a couple of days ago finished putting on the roof of my son and daughter in law's house. Not bad it only took four months from the day after the storm to get done. Still many houses with blue tarps for roofs. It's not the materials that is the problem it is getting the workers. There are so many damaged homes and only a few companies to serve them. Still many out of state companies here to help but it will take a very long time yet.

Until next time,

Geoff

Uhhh, about that last post.....

With all the hubbub over the minor diversion of Hurricane Michael, what?, you say??, minor diversion?? Well actually it wasn't a minor diversion at all but a major destructive event in the history of Panama City and the surrounding areas and the peoples lives that live in and around us here. So here we are just about four months later and much of the area is still digging out and I mean literally digging!! It will be a very long time before things are anywhere near normal and even then it will be different from the way things were, a different normal.

My sweet wife and I were very blessed in that we had sold our house this past June and rented a condo out here near the beach where we were just grazed by the storm, so we didn't have any dealings with insurance companies over damage claims from the storm. For our house that is. The condo we're renting is only a few years old and a very sturdy poured concrete construction with all the latest hurricane windows and such so we suffered very little at all. The biggest thing we had to deal with, of course no water and no power, was waiting for the elevators to get fixed as we rent on the sixth floor!! I'll tell you what, these old knees didn't take that very well at all, no siree!! Well long story short and I know you will thank me for that, elevators now are working and clean up has progressed very nicely so far. Although one of the two golf courses out here may not return as there was major damage to it, but the other one, The Legends at Bay Point, a PGA quality one, is very close to reopening. I don't golf so it's just nice to walk the cart paths for exercise.

That brings me to the reason for this blog, (so you say). So I have sold one of my Glocks to get started buying plywood. Later this week either Wednesday or Thursday, I'll be heading to Lowes to search out some reasonable pieces of ply to start drawing out bulkheads and rudders and centerboards and other stuff. At least something will be started and perhaps soon there will be a boat that will take me out into the bay exploring all the little nooks and crannies of St Andrews Bay and the surrounding areas.

That's all for now.

Geoff