FriedClams

Congratulations, Glen - a very generous act and a fantastic job. Gary

This sternwheeler is simply begging to be modeled, Keith and just the kind of subject you can really dig your teeth into. Just keep a toothbrush handy and don't swallow the soot. Grabbing the popcorn and looking for an empty seat. Gary

Knowing how inventive you are, I was wondering what you might do for a base. Never expected bonsai driftwood, but what a great choice, Glen. Looking forward to seeing the final completed display. Gary

Congratulations on the completion of Lula, Keith! I agree with all the previous statements and have little to add except to thank you for your efforts in giving us such an interesting, informative and fun log to follow. She's a delightful and charming little vessel and masterfully built. Gary

Phil, I know you were concerned how this would turn out - well I think it came out fantastic - very nice, well done! Gary

Lula is looking great with completion around the corner. Good call on your next build subject, Keith - interesting craft and just your style. Gary

Hey Paul - Nice progress and looking great. Really like those last two photos. Haven't seen that style of Cleco before. The millwright shop at a manufacturer I once worked for had buckets of the temporary rivet kind for sheet metal fabrication work. Different colors for different sizes - handy stuff. Gary

Nice job, Glen. She's in the bottle and looking good! Gary

Nice progress, Jeff. I particularly like the rolled canvas and the way it slumps off the end of the rack. You've a good eye for details. Gary

Good to hear your surgery went well, Bruce and your model is looking great! Gary

Phil, on my boat I would say yes. To keep the end grain from absorbing water and quickly rotting away they must have done something to impede that process. Being a low-tech fishing boat of the 1940s, I have this image in my head of a guy slathering the board ends with pitch/tar and then pushing the vertical strip into the mess and nailing it down. But that’s just a thought based on zero evidence of what they actually did. But considering the USS Cape, wasn’t the military using epoxy decades before it was widely used commercially? If so, I wonder what purpose these vertical boards would have served except for added mechanical protection against crushing/splintering the plank ends. Yes, sometimes I feel like I'm building a bulbous shed. Your sheathing is more extensive and complicated than mine and your plank widths are wider which further complicates the process, so I don’t envy your task. But you’re making a great job of it and the added interest it gives to the hull will make the effort worthwhile. Gary

Just catching up, Phil and you're doing some very nice work on this model. I have never seen anyone install this type of sheathing on a boat before - except that this is exactly what I'm currently doing on my F/V Pelican. How coincidental. So, I can offer what I know as it pertains to mid-century wooden F/V in New England. The sheathing was installed below the gallows frames and extended down well below the waterline. The sheathing was ¾” oak and protected the hull from the heavy steel edged “doors” (otter boards) when the trawl gear was deployed and retrieved. This sheathing is sacrificial and was replaced/repaired as needed. They are not tapered and there are no gaps between boards. The Roann (built in 1947) is a small eastern-rig dragger and part of the Mystic Seaport Museum collection. In the image below, one can see that the starboard sheathing not only covers the hull below the gallows but also extends in a narrow band at the waterline forward to the stem. On port side, there is only the narrow band which extends to midships because there are no port side gallows frames on this boat. My understanding is that because this class of offshore F/V fished year-round, the forward waterline sheathing is there to protect the hull from floating slabs of ice in a time when harbor freeze-overs were not uncommon. Here’s is the sheathing that I've applied to the Pelican as per the plans and images of other vessels by the same designer. This is complete minus the trim to protect the end grain, and the waterline band still needs to be extended onto the stem. Because this boat had four gallows and could drag off either side, I will be sheathing the port side identically. If not helpful, I hope this is at least interesting. Gary

Watched your videos the other night and really enjoyed them, Eric - thanks! Your layout bluff coloring looks very authentic. Gary

Coming along nicely, Paul. That straight on view of the bow shows how well the P/S planks are lining up to each other at the stem. Nice. Gary

The fact that the surgeon felt no urgency sounds like pretty good news, Keith. Hang in there my friend, we're all thinking of you and hoping for the best possible outcome to whatever course of action is recommended. Gary