This last weekend Ellodine was detached from her jig and manhandled by me and my wife into the upright position. I’m still a little bit surprised that this finally happened.

July 29th, 2009 marks the birthday of Ellodine, the Penobscot 14 wood boat project that has been hanging over my head for over 7 years. The last plank went on the starboard side that day and she truly became a boat. Something changed with that final plank, the boat transformed and Ellodine got her soul. Building Ellodine really is a birthing process – it takes time, hurts like hell and I have a feeling she will cost me money the rest of my life.

So far, July has been a slow, less-than-exciting month. I’ve been using the downtime to make progress on PyratSail’s little 14 foot project boat – and even though it’s like an oven in my garage, it’s shady and tolerable. Actually not that bad once I get workin’. In an effort to spice things up a bit, I’ve attempted some action shots instead of just pics of wood in a boatlike shape. Now it’s me in a RumHead like shape.

Fitting a Plank

Still fitting with a few screws to hold it in place. Lowfat Cottage Cheese – the secret boat builders tool.

Drilling many of the hundreds of holes for the hundreds of screws.

One of the toughest jobs. After the plank is glued and screwed down, the excess epoxy that squishes out has to be scraped and wiped down with acetone before it sets up. Otherwise, it would be near impossible to remove it without damaging the plywood surface. It’s great fun when I sit in glue that has dripped on the floor and get sawdust stuck to my butt.

Routing off the rough edge to prepare for planing the surface to fit the next plank.

More to come as things progress. Will she float, will she sail? Tune in again…

This was a productive weekend for my Penobscot 14 wood boat project - despite a late start on Saturday caused by an extended middle-of-the-night power outage. Work began around noon – more planks were fitted and glued, putting me ahead of my unwritten schedule. Sunday arrived with another semi-late start, but I was motivated. I felt like the momentum was really picking up then, the setback. While whittling away on an overhanging plank near the transom I heard something fall off the boat and hit the ground. There was a sound of brittle metal hitting concrete – I could feel tragedy in the air. Hoping it was a chisel, I peer around the corner to see what produced the unhappy sound. My poor little rabbet plane, the one I had ordered over 5 years ago for specifically for this venture, lay there on the garage floor in two pieces. It’s supposed to be only one. Damn thee gods of the boatbuilders!!! It’s the one tool that is (was) unique to this entire project – of all the things to break…

After dimissing thoughts of glueing, clamping and the always dependable J.B. Weld, I tried using it as-is. It sort of worked in a monkey-humps-a-football kind of way, but it will need replacing. Not such a big deal – then why write this post? Because sometimes I swear there’s a mischievous force that enjoys testing us - to see who will quit, who will perservere and who will reach for the rum while trying to blame anyone but themselves. Don’t they test these tools? What the hell does “drop forged” mean anyhow?

My little wood project boat is back in progress. It only took a little junk shoveling to uncover her, some clearing of workbenches, uncovering of supplies and rounding up of tools. The idea to build the Penobscot 14 was born when my wife started pharmacy school and had to “go away” up in Gainesville. I was left at home during the week and decided a little wood working with almost sharp chisels and saws would go well with my rum and coke. A little Internet research, $110 for plans and a video and I was off and whittling. Four years of college, a residency and 3+ years of Dr. M. practicing her trade, and the boat is nearly half done. I knew it would keep me occupied.

Ellodine (her intended name) actually started off with a bang, but dwindled as house chores, other boats and life came along. Once I get going, I enjoy every minute of the work. I love it – probably the best thing a guy stuck behind a keyboard can do – legally. Last night I began fitting the next plank to the hull I finished framing over 3 years ago. I figure once I knock out this planking and flip the boat right-side-up at the very least I’ll have a life raft in the event of a major hurricane. If it’s not done, and a big flood hits – oh man, I’ll never hear the end of that one. Call me Noah.

Some pics from last night.

The entire Penobscot 14 Gallery is here.