endless

[dancing_crow]

Somehow, when I built this boat however many years ago, it felt more like I was following directions and much less like I was problem solving every single step. I think that must be why I stopped. It was abruptly not entirely clear what I should be doing next, and it made me nervous.

Since restarting, I have realized I'd gone too far with some shaping on the rudder, and wouldn't have a flat spot to drill into or (possibly) enough wood, and fixed that with courage and a file to make a flat spot and graduated drill bits until I got a hole I could shove the required rope through. BUT! the stopper knot is too big in the required rope, so I either have to make a smaller knot, and when that does not work, hammer on the knot until it flattens out (NB that does not in fact work) or find smaller rope. so I did that today and it seems to fit well enough, and I should be able to at least try sailing with it, until I figure out some other thing.

I already relayed the entire hole in the top of the mast process, resulting in a 2" shorter mast and a HUGE hole, but I think it will function. I am noticing that the photos in the directions look different than the things the directions say, which implies, to me at any rate, that I am in more or less freestyle territory. I mean, some things clearly have to get done to some kind of tolerance, frex, the rudder has to be mounted close enough to vertical that it will swing properly and steer the boat. Which means that when I put a hole in that results in the holding piece being distinctly off plumb (it is called a gudgeon - is that not wonderful? and the piece that goes on the rudder that connects is called a pintle. That is your vocab for the day), I have to fix that. I left it last night as an exercise for future-Lee, and today I pulled out the bolt and drilled a new hole and realized how much flexibility I had with moving the drill around, and tried to fill the old hole with epoxy and wood flour and got the right hole instead, and ended up filling Both Of Them, and I shall redrill tomorrow. Current-Lee has her hands full with other issues.

Mostly with varnish. The weather is nice enough I shall finish complaining here and go slap some varnish onto the recently drilled and epoxy-undercoated holes and ends and etc. - muggy weather does NOT work for varnish, so one takes the moments as they arrive.