Re: Building Inscrutable -- A brief tale of the first time boat builder
Paul, this is the first I heard about the Saginaw event. Do you have
more information?
Dennis
more information?
Dennis
--- In bolger@y..., pcencer@b... wrote:
> Dennis,
> Congratulations on your boat! Are you going to bring it to the
Small
> Craft Symposium in Saginaw on August 18? It's a fun day of small
> boating on the shores of a little lake...
>
> Paul
>
>
> --- In bolger@y..., PseudoDion3@a... wrote:
> > I am a 41 year old theology professor who is more familiar
and
> > comfortable with St. Thomas Aquinas' arguments for God's
existence
> > than the working end of a screw driver. I have never sawed wood
or
> > showed any interest in the mechanical arts whatsoever. This
summer
> I
> > decided to build a boat -- Carnell's $200 sail boat. The thud you
> > heard in the background was my wife of 21 years hitting the floor
> in
> > a faint of stunned amazement! I guess even after 21 years of
> marriage
> > one can still surprise one's spouse. The name of my boat --
> > Inscrutable -- has its origins here. Of course, I will make no
> > further reference to the hubris most women have when it comes to
> > believing they know men all too well. Surprising my wife in this
> > fashion was a coup that spurred me on even in the face of the
> > inevitable frustrations of learning new skills.
> > I wish I had a video of my building follies. Things did not
go
> > smoothly from the beginning. When I invisibly butt strapped the
> sides
> > together the first time, there were so many voids in the joint
that
> > it looked like a honey comb. The wax paper I used bonded to the
> wood
> > and weights. The two hours of sanding down the flawed joint to
bare
> > wood was probably the closest thing to hell in this boatbuilder's
> > experience -- but it was really just penance. The second time was
a
> > charm and by the time I got to joining the bottom, I was
> experienced
> > enough not to make these same mistakes. I built the frames 3
times
> > and the transom 4.The last transom I built was perfect in every
> way,
> > size, bevels -- it was beautiful. When I went to put it on the
> boat,
> > I found that I had beveled the thing the wrong way. My wife
> laughed,
> > I cussed and headed to the basement workshop to build a face for
it
> > so that I could turn it around and place it on the boat properly!
> > Once I got the sides of the boat on the frame things went
> > smoothly. Despite my fumbling, bumbling, and ignorance, the boat
> > shaped up nicely. Even I could not ruin the beauty of her
intended
> > design.Dave Carnell markets his boat for those who have minimal
> wood
> > working experience -- as do all instant boat appeals. I'm here to
> > tell you that it can even be done by those with no wood working
> > experience! As far as I'm concerned, Dave Carnell has the
patience
> of
> > a saint. He answered all of my questions with grace and dispatch.
> And
> > believe me, some of those questions were real doozies!
> > In all, Inscrutable cost me a little more than 3 times the
> $200
> > advertised cost. Some of the extra cost is due to the fact that
my
> > learning curve was very steep and I had to buy materials until I
> got
> > it right. Some of the cost is due to the fact that I used bronze
> > nails and fittings throughout. Some of the expense is in tools
that
> I
> > needed to build the boat. I also ordered a sail to be made for
the
> > boat when a polytarp or used sunfish sail would have done the job
> > just as well. I expect the sail to be in this week. I will take
> > pictures of her maiden voyage and post them when I get them
> developed.
> > I would encourage anyone who has little to no wood working
> > experience and is contemplating building a boat to do so. I found
> the
> > experience immensely rewarding. Take every opportunity to ask
> > questions no matter how silly they seem. Things that would be
> obvious
> > to the somewhat knowledgeable wood worker are not to the rank
> > amateur. It is gracious folks like Dave Carnell who can make your
> > boatbuilding adventure a little less hairy.
> >
> > Dennis Marshall, Grand Rapids, MI
Dennis,
Congratulations on your boat! Are you going to bring it to the Small
Craft Symposium in Saginaw on August 18? It's a fun day of small
boating on the shores of a little lake...
Paul
Congratulations on your boat! Are you going to bring it to the Small
Craft Symposium in Saginaw on August 18? It's a fun day of small
boating on the shores of a little lake...
Paul
--- In bolger@y..., PseudoDion3@a... wrote:
> I am a 41 year old theology professor who is more familiar and
> comfortable with St. Thomas Aquinas' arguments for God's existence
> than the working end of a screw driver. I have never sawed wood or
> showed any interest in the mechanical arts whatsoever. This summer
I
> decided to build a boat -- Carnell's $200 sail boat. The thud you
> heard in the background was my wife of 21 years hitting the floor
in
> a faint of stunned amazement! I guess even after 21 years of
marriage
> one can still surprise one's spouse. The name of my boat --
> Inscrutable -- has its origins here. Of course, I will make no
> further reference to the hubris most women have when it comes to
> believing they know men all too well. Surprising my wife in this
> fashion was a coup that spurred me on even in the face of the
> inevitable frustrations of learning new skills.
> I wish I had a video of my building follies. Things did not go
> smoothly from the beginning. When I invisibly butt strapped the
sides
> together the first time, there were so many voids in the joint that
> it looked like a honey comb. The wax paper I used bonded to the
wood
> and weights. The two hours of sanding down the flawed joint to bare
> wood was probably the closest thing to hell in this boatbuilder's
> experience -- but it was really just penance. The second time was a
> charm and by the time I got to joining the bottom, I was
experienced
> enough not to make these same mistakes. I built the frames 3 times
> and the transom 4.The last transom I built was perfect in every
way,
> size, bevels -- it was beautiful. When I went to put it on the
boat,
> I found that I had beveled the thing the wrong way. My wife
laughed,
> I cussed and headed to the basement workshop to build a face for it
> so that I could turn it around and place it on the boat properly!
> Once I got the sides of the boat on the frame things went
> smoothly. Despite my fumbling, bumbling, and ignorance, the boat
> shaped up nicely. Even I could not ruin the beauty of her intended
> design.Dave Carnell markets his boat for those who have minimal
wood
> working experience -- as do all instant boat appeals. I'm here to
> tell you that it can even be done by those with no wood working
> experience! As far as I'm concerned, Dave Carnell has the patience
of
> a saint. He answered all of my questions with grace and dispatch.
And
> believe me, some of those questions were real doozies!
> In all, Inscrutable cost me a little more than 3 times the
$200
> advertised cost. Some of the extra cost is due to the fact that my
> learning curve was very steep and I had to buy materials until I
got
> it right. Some of the cost is due to the fact that I used bronze
> nails and fittings throughout. Some of the expense is in tools that
I
> needed to build the boat. I also ordered a sail to be made for the
> boat when a polytarp or used sunfish sail would have done the job
> just as well. I expect the sail to be in this week. I will take
> pictures of her maiden voyage and post them when I get them
developed.
> I would encourage anyone who has little to no wood working
> experience and is contemplating building a boat to do so. I found
the
> experience immensely rewarding. Take every opportunity to ask
> questions no matter how silly they seem. Things that would be
obvious
> to the somewhat knowledgeable wood worker are not to the rank
> amateur. It is gracious folks like Dave Carnell who can make your
> boatbuilding adventure a little less hairy.
>
> Dennis Marshall, Grand Rapids, MI
I am a 41 year old theology professor who is more familiar and
comfortable with St. Thomas Aquinas' arguments for God's existence
than the working end of a screw driver. I have never sawed wood or
showed any interest in the mechanical arts whatsoever. This summer I
decided to build a boat -- Carnell's $200 sail boat. The thud you
heard in the background was my wife of 21 years hitting the floor in
a faint of stunned amazement! I guess even after 21 years of marriage
one can still surprise one's spouse. The name of my boat --
Inscrutable -- has its origins here. Of course, I will make no
further reference to the hubris most women have when it comes to
believing they know men all too well. Surprising my wife in this
fashion was a coup that spurred me on even in the face of the
inevitable frustrations of learning new skills.
I wish I had a video of my building follies. Things did not go
smoothly from the beginning. When I invisibly butt strapped the sides
together the first time, there were so many voids in the joint that
it looked like a honey comb. The wax paper I used bonded to the wood
and weights. The two hours of sanding down the flawed joint to bare
wood was probably the closest thing to hell in this boatbuilder's
experience -- but it was really just penance. The second time was a
charm and by the time I got to joining the bottom, I was experienced
enough not to make these same mistakes. I built the frames 3 times
and the transom 4.The last transom I built was perfect in every way,
size, bevels -- it was beautiful. When I went to put it on the boat,
I found that I had beveled the thing the wrong way. My wife laughed,
I cussed and headed to the basement workshop to build a face for it
so that I could turn it around and place it on the boat properly!
Once I got the sides of the boat on the frame things went
smoothly. Despite my fumbling, bumbling, and ignorance, the boat
shaped up nicely. Even I could not ruin the beauty of her intended
design.Dave Carnell markets his boat for those who have minimal wood
working experience -- as do all instant boat appeals. I'm here to
tell you that it can even be done by those with no wood working
experience! As far as I'm concerned, Dave Carnell has the patience of
a saint. He answered all of my questions with grace and dispatch. And
believe me, some of those questions were real doozies!
In all, Inscrutable cost me a little more than 3 times the $200
advertised cost. Some of the extra cost is due to the fact that my
learning curve was very steep and I had to buy materials until I got
it right. Some of the cost is due to the fact that I used bronze
nails and fittings throughout. Some of the expense is in tools that I
needed to build the boat. I also ordered a sail to be made for the
boat when a polytarp or used sunfish sail would have done the job
just as well. I expect the sail to be in this week. I will take
pictures of her maiden voyage and post them when I get them developed.
I would encourage anyone who has little to no wood working
experience and is contemplating building a boat to do so. I found the
experience immensely rewarding. Take every opportunity to ask
questions no matter how silly they seem. Things that would be obvious
to the somewhat knowledgeable wood worker are not to the rank
amateur. It is gracious folks like Dave Carnell who can make your
boatbuilding adventure a little less hairy.
Dennis Marshall, Grand Rapids, MI
comfortable with St. Thomas Aquinas' arguments for God's existence
than the working end of a screw driver. I have never sawed wood or
showed any interest in the mechanical arts whatsoever. This summer I
decided to build a boat -- Carnell's $200 sail boat. The thud you
heard in the background was my wife of 21 years hitting the floor in
a faint of stunned amazement! I guess even after 21 years of marriage
one can still surprise one's spouse. The name of my boat --
Inscrutable -- has its origins here. Of course, I will make no
further reference to the hubris most women have when it comes to
believing they know men all too well. Surprising my wife in this
fashion was a coup that spurred me on even in the face of the
inevitable frustrations of learning new skills.
I wish I had a video of my building follies. Things did not go
smoothly from the beginning. When I invisibly butt strapped the sides
together the first time, there were so many voids in the joint that
it looked like a honey comb. The wax paper I used bonded to the wood
and weights. The two hours of sanding down the flawed joint to bare
wood was probably the closest thing to hell in this boatbuilder's
experience -- but it was really just penance. The second time was a
charm and by the time I got to joining the bottom, I was experienced
enough not to make these same mistakes. I built the frames 3 times
and the transom 4.The last transom I built was perfect in every way,
size, bevels -- it was beautiful. When I went to put it on the boat,
I found that I had beveled the thing the wrong way. My wife laughed,
I cussed and headed to the basement workshop to build a face for it
so that I could turn it around and place it on the boat properly!
Once I got the sides of the boat on the frame things went
smoothly. Despite my fumbling, bumbling, and ignorance, the boat
shaped up nicely. Even I could not ruin the beauty of her intended
design.Dave Carnell markets his boat for those who have minimal wood
working experience -- as do all instant boat appeals. I'm here to
tell you that it can even be done by those with no wood working
experience! As far as I'm concerned, Dave Carnell has the patience of
a saint. He answered all of my questions with grace and dispatch. And
believe me, some of those questions were real doozies!
In all, Inscrutable cost me a little more than 3 times the $200
advertised cost. Some of the extra cost is due to the fact that my
learning curve was very steep and I had to buy materials until I got
it right. Some of the cost is due to the fact that I used bronze
nails and fittings throughout. Some of the expense is in tools that I
needed to build the boat. I also ordered a sail to be made for the
boat when a polytarp or used sunfish sail would have done the job
just as well. I expect the sail to be in this week. I will take
pictures of her maiden voyage and post them when I get them developed.
I would encourage anyone who has little to no wood working
experience and is contemplating building a boat to do so. I found the
experience immensely rewarding. Take every opportunity to ask
questions no matter how silly they seem. Things that would be obvious
to the somewhat knowledgeable wood worker are not to the rank
amateur. It is gracious folks like Dave Carnell who can make your
boatbuilding adventure a little less hairy.
Dennis Marshall, Grand Rapids, MI