RowMe

[Bill Edmundson]

Somehow I doubt that Bill Clinton ran those bluelines.

Bill

[DeltaDawg]

Somehow I doubt that Bill Clinton ran those bluelines.

Bill

God bless you Bill always a light touch when one is needed. I am happy to report this morning that all the new clear and old amber type epoxy resin kicked last night with a a minimum of out gassing forming bubbles under the biaxial fiberglass cloth. Leland

[Bill Edmundson]

Leland

Glad you took it the way it was meant. I've run many Bluelines!

Bill

[DeltaDawg]

I trimmed and sanded a few blisters that had formed under the biaxial fiberglass tape. I wore goggles, gloves and a face mask but am still a bit itchy after a shower. This week I will cut the drain holes bed 1 inch copper pipe in epoxy putty through the water tight compartments, that worked on my stitch and glue made back in 2000. I am going to bed the bow eye backing block in epoxy putty and get those holes bored. I have the seat tops to bed in epoxy putty, make a few cleats and I am adding some backing blocks in the stern for 2 fishing pole holders. I think I am going to flip next week, prep, fiberglass and paint the bottom.

There are a lot of little kids walking, riding bikes and scooters with their parents that stop by to watch me work. I think there are still a lot of folks that have not gone back to work. Anyway I have printed the RowMe catalog cut sheet so they can take that away and talk with their Mom and Dad about building their own boats. I set out 3 boxes of hardwood scraps, end cuts plywood scraps for the kids to take. I think a few have actually gone to the Glen-L site, I don't know if, when orders will materialize but I hope so, building a boat is a lifetime memory. I am being frank about the cost when we talk these boats are not cheap and like Ken Borges, Glen-L's narrator in the VHS Stitch and Glue VHS tape says, resin putty is not an excuse for shoddy workmanship. Leland

[hoodman]

Not cheap but you can't buy a boat like that. You have to build it. Nice job!

[DeltaDawg]

Not cheap but you can't buy a boat like that. You have to build it. Nice job!

Matt, thank you. These little neighbor boys are so into this, one stopped today with his brothers and Mom to talk with me at great length (and from across the street so we kept our distance) thanking me for the wood and telling me about the shield he built. Another boy I would say 4 or 5 stopped by filling up a Homer bucket with plywood scraps from the last of the 3 boxes I sat out. I told his Dad there was Douglas Fir plywood in there and those slivers are painful to me at least and to be careful so they don't own my boat, house and nest egg. His Dad got a chuckle they live just a next door and I hear them sanding and sawing. If I can get photos I will post them but I am a little cautious about asking parents don't like their kids photos posted and I don't blame them these days but if can get some photos of their creation I will let you enjoy. I think one of my first boats was made from a cedar shingle when I was 4. Awe.

I got the drain holes and 1" copper pipe cut today but got tired and I want to do a good job drilling the bow eye holes and final fitting of the seat tops. Here is a picture. Leland

[DeltaDawg]

Getting close to the flip, maybe next week.

[DeltaDawg]

Seat tops are epoxy putty filleted in place very pleased with bow eye backing block. I used @Bill Edmundson's trick of drilling bow eye holes on drill press then my laser level to align on center line and the holes came through the bow perfectly. Thank you Bill. Leland

[DeltaDawg]

Flipped boat today by myself and sanded bottom.

[DeltaDawg]

110 degree days and 70 degree nights to hot to epoxy fiberglass bottom. We had thundershowers and 89% humidity too so had to hurriedly bring batten and inner sheer boards inside so they would not cork screw. I did put a new belt in my planer and clean the rubber feed rollers and got the boards planed down to 5/8" thick so they'll bend easier before the heat wave hit. I can knock this out in a couple weeks when the weather cooperates I just want to do a nice job and know how hard that is when it is hot. Leland

[DeltaDawg]

After a 2 week construction halt due to the heat wave and smoke from the wildfires I mixed up the last of my silica and micro balloons from my stitch and glue kit and filled in the chine seams but ran out of putty to fill in stitching holes and fair over screw heads. I do not know if you care or have been following our wildfires, I am a water activist and prepared this time lapse video of my water district's drinking water reservoir. I oppose expanding the reservoir because it takes water out of inverted Sacramento San Joaquin Delta needed by migrating Chinook salmon and exacerbates algal blooms in the Delta and the stagnant reservoirs. The video is for my public comment to the California Water Commission who is funding expanding the reservoir. The video is a compilation of European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel 2 satellite images I downloaded and processed with SNAP 7.0.4 on Windows 10 with my 7 year old laptop. The warm colors in the last 2 pictures illustrate the intensity of chlorophyll absorption as a proxy for algae in Los Vaqueros and San Luis reservoirs. Leland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0f8HtercTU

[DeltaDawg]

A little sanding, found some West 407 fairing filler locally, $22, wasn't sure I would like it, mixed up 6 oz of epoxy and stirred in 1/2 can filler to make stiff batter and I really like it, feathers out nice with squeegee. Bumping up against some hot days ahead this weekend, not sure if I will get cloth and epoxy on before heat wave, if not I will dry fit the battens and outer sheers and drill screw holes every 3 to 4 inches. Leland

[DeltaDawg]

Another heat wave, forecast 107 through Tuesday. I cut the battens and temporary spacers, snapped chalk lines and penciled in seat risers under the bottom and drew clearance envelopes with compass so I would not put a screw close to those epoxy putty fillets and can easily grind off the screw tips when I flip Vessel Astera right side up. I will mark and drill the screw holes then set the battens aside for fiber-glassing. I can make scarf joints for the outer sheers, dry fit, mark and drill those screw holes. After leaving the Sea Knight fastener kit unopened for 13 years I opened it yesterday and found a wealth of silicone bronze screws to put on the sheers and battens. The RowMe plans do not call for battens but I want them because I will be beaching Vessel Astera all the time to bleed a fish and throw sticks for the Labradors. When the heat wave breaks I will fiberglass, epoxy flow coat, then roll and tip 2 coats of that Petite EZPoxy Hatteras White polyurethane paint. And some very good news, I took the copies of vessel registration and receipts I sent into Sacramento DMV June 23 to the local DMV field office. They turned me away, I came back the next morning at 7:30a got in a very long line, 4 hours and a lot of asking to talk with a manager later, I came out with my CF#, computer generated Hull ID# and registration and quagga zebra muscle stickers and $265 less in my wallet. I came home and ordered vinyl lettering for the CF# pair of decals from BoatUS. Between that PortaBote I sent back to the manufacture I have dealt been to DMV 7 times this year in person, 4 times uploaded registration to virtual DMV and mailed in registration once. I now have a license for my assembled trailer kit and a CF# for my boat. The Covid situation made that much harder than the 2 home made boats and trailers I registered in California 20 years ago. It is going to be sweet reeling in those Sacramento and Mokelumne river Chinook salmon this fall. Leland

[vupilot]

Leland, I just caught up on your build, your commentary is a fun read. Keep up the great work. I feel you on the DMV, it took 5 appointments over a 10 week span during Covid to get a silly little aluminum rowboat registered so I could put a Minnkota on the transom.

[DeltaDawg]

Vupilot, thank you for sharing your DMV story. I drilled screw holes in the battens and rounded over the edges and ends. It was 114F out there, smokey and I was sweating like a pig in a bacon factory. I got 3 bowls finish turned for upcoming church online auction fundraisers, we'll see how that works, a proper dinner fundraiser where the buyers are liquored up prior to bidding can bring in $250 per bowl. Leland