From making wine to... building a Tunnel Mite?

[Ch.Beeks]

So, I have been making wine in my cellar for the past half dozen years or so, but this year I found myself getting tired of it. I have wanted to build a boat for many, many years, so I decided to switch gears.

A bit of background... I grew up going to Lake George in the Adirondacks every summer. My grandfather was into boats, and had some pretty spectacular hydroplanes - Chloe, aka Ethyl Ruth IV http://www.woodyboater.com/wp-content/u ... uth-IV.jpg was a 1934 Gold Cup racer by Hacker and Juno http://www.vintageraceboatshop.com/imag ... 190205.JPG was a Ventnor, one of the first racing boats with sponsons. Sadly, both were sold for a pittance when he died in the early 1970's to settle the estate; breaks my heart to think about it!

His younger brother Jack was into outboards, and was actually the Merc dealer in Ticonderoga in the 50's. He raced a Raveau DU named Gingerly http://www.raveauboats.com/Jack%20Henry%202.jpg; my cousin Ginger still has it in a garage somewhere I think! Inspired by my grandfather and my uncle, I used my paper route money to buy plans and materials for the Minimax (which I see is still around!), but sadly never got very far. So, forty years later, I am finally getting back to it!

I am repurposing my wine cellar to be my boat shop, and it is very small. About thirteen feet square, with a smaller adjacent room (now half filled with tanks, fermenters, press, etc.!) and a small outdoor pad where I used to crush grapes. So, I had to pick something small!

I settled on either the Squirt or the Tunnel Mite. However, as I am a fairly big guy, around 6'3", I couldn't get over the image of myself looking like a Shriner in the Squirt! So, Tunnel Mite it is...

This forum has been a big help to me already, so I look forward to sharing my successes (or otherwise) and collecting input from the group here!

[Lowka53]

I still home brew my wine and beer but still building my boat

[jcallends]

Best idea I've heard yet, a floating winery.

[Lowka53]

Best idea I've heard yet, a floating winery.

Since i am building a house boat have considered it but it would be hard to get the wine to clear well. on any case will have a wine cellar.

[slug]

Glad to hear you've decided to sober up and do something constructive with your life .
Seriously though, you won't find a better support group for boatbuilding than on this forum. Glad to have you onboard.

Doug

[AaronStJ]

I've been known to brew beer when I'm not chipping away at my boat. I'll bet there's a lot of crossover between the two groups.

[AaronStJ]

Best idea I've heard yet, a floating winery.

Since i am building a house boat have considered it but it would be hard to get the wine to clear well. on any case will have a wine cellar.

Both wine and beer are occasionally cleared using isinglass, which a made from fish swim bladders. Just throw a line over the side...

[Ch.Beeks]

Yes, I think making good wine on a houseboat would be pretty difficult... but you could build it in the barcos rabelos style and impress all your port-loving friends!

Thanks for all the kind words. I was out buying lumber this weekend, I will keep y'all posted on my progress, once I have any to show!

[Lowka53]

true enough but I am partial to Merlot but port is good will have to try a batch right now my vats a full.

[Ch.Beeks]

Yeah, my best wine was mostly Merlot, with a little Cabernet and Tempranillo blended in. And, regarding clarification, I never tried isinglass, I used egg white fining, which seemed to work pretty well.

Apparently I am too much of a noob to be allowed to reply to private messages yet, so in regards to the question on mead, no, I have never tried that. I do have a cousin in Alabama who is a beekeeper, and I am trying to convince him to try.

[Bill Edmundson]

Ch.Beeks

You should be good on PM now.

Bill