Stitch pulling
About 300 stitches got yanked out of the hull, undoing the work that took me nearly a week. The boat is now held together only by epoxy at the joints, and has already gained a good bit of rigidity. That will only increase as the glue joints are completely filled, and then the Fiberglas is applied. But for now, the copper wire stitches litter my shop floor, waiting to be swept up. The hundreds of little holes will also have to be filled; plenty of tasks lay ahead this weekend.
FedEx left me a package today: A beautiful pair of oars arrived from Shaw & Tenney of Orono, Maine. This is a pair of spoon blade oars, made of spruce with a blade-tip inlay of cherry hardwood. I also ordered the oar leather kit, which protects the wood where it will contact the bronze oarlocks. Lacing on the leathers is another task to add to the boatbuilding tasks. I am really impressed with the workmanship and finish of the oars; they give me a goal to strive for in finishing the boat. If I fall a little short, at least it will be understandable. After all, this is my first boatbuilding project. Shaw & Tenney have been in business since 1858! Total hours 35.50.
posted by Peter at 9:16 PM
3 Comments:
Hi Peter,
I've just found your site. thanks for publishing. I've pretty much decided to get a PMD this summer when were docked again.
Question: how did you know how long an oar to use? I've got an inflatable now and rowing is the last thing you want to do with one of those:)
Thanks Ed
Ed,
Great aacount of your Passagemaker expedition. I have the same question as Ed. What length did you choose for your oars?
Robert
The instruction manual that comes with the Passagemaker dinghy recommends 7-1/2 foot oars. The issue is confused slightly by the fact that the CLC web page recommends 8 foot oars. And if one were to go by the fitting formula on the Shaw and Tenney web page, 8-1/2 foot oars would needed. I suspect there is some leeway there; I have the 7-1/2 foot oars, and although I haven't been on the water yet, they look like they'll work fine.
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