Fintan Murphy Posted July 10, 2004 Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 I have found that there are now four milestones on the project, with the last one, putting her in the water, to go. The first is when you go 3-D. Suddenly it looks like a structure rather than a flat collection of wooden bits. The second is when you paint it. Now it looks like a unified whole, even a boat. All the mistakes, the bits of epoxy, the different colours of ply, the round circles where holes were filled, all go away, to be replaced with a shiny paint job. The third happened two days ago. I was rigging the blocks and trying to untangle the lines while I set up the gaff and boom, as well as lazy jacks and the jib and staysail halyards. The wind was blowing from behind the boat (abaft ) so I hadn't laced on the mainsail yet. "Feck it", I said, let's put up the jib and see what happens. So I tied on the jib halyard on to the furled jib, raised it and tied on a jib sheet to the clew. I unfurled the sail and my boat took her first breath :!: . I don't want to be overly dramatic, but that's what it felt like. The jib filled and steadied. The starbord sheet snapped taut ,and I heard the mast creak. I felt like Dr. Frankenstein and wanted to step back and exclaim "IT'S ALIVE". Those of you who have passed this milestone will probably grin and remember. Those of you who have yet to reach it, what delights are in store for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan Williamson Posted July 10, 2004 Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 I have experienced the first two. It makes you where you can't keep your eyes off it. I've had to go and "check on the boat" after hours just to get another look. I guess it is called pride maybe disbelief And if the next two are anything close to that..... well now, I'm in for a treat. I have two more coats of paint on the top side, and then its rigging time. So you raised the sail off the water huh. I know how bad I am going to want to do that, but we live on a hill and I could just see the boat going sailing down the driveway What is your launch date? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pennington Posted July 10, 2004 Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 Fintan, Congratulations! And very well put, I believe you are absolutely right! These boats are like our children, we put so much into them we can't help but be proud when they do well :roll: Can you say, DADDY? 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomstock Posted July 11, 2004 Report Share Posted July 11, 2004 I'm sneaking up on #2. I'm finishing up all of the little things (portholes, splash coamings, rudder) today so I can flip the boat to sand and fillet the keel. As soon as thats done, I can fiberglass and paint! It's not soon enough... it's been almost a year since I started this project. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMetzner Posted July 11, 2004 Report Share Posted July 11, 2004 Fintan, Soooo well said my friend!! Having just gone through that a couple weeks back, I remember it vividly. It's like the boat suddenly realizes her purpose. The wind pulls at her sails and she wakes up and says "Oh, that's why I'm here!" "Let's go!" So, what did you tell her, Fintan? I know you talked to her. I read an article a while back in WoodenBoat about a rebuild of a burned out sloop (can't remember the name at the moment) and one of the guys at the boatyard told the owner during a visit that they talked to her. They knew that the owner talked to her and this guy would tell her it was going to be alright, she'd be good as new. Good stuff..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fintan Murphy Posted July 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 JMetzner, I didn't talk to her, but I did pat her sides a few times. Tomstock, only a year, this is my fourth year building her. "four years into a six month project" is how I describe it" Jan, my launch date, now there's a question. :roll: Hopefully this month, and if not, then definitely next month. It all depends on the trailer maker. You know the expression "Good, Cheap, Quick - pick any two of the above", well, I got one of them, he is good, but he ain't cheap, and he certainly ain't Quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeStevenson Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Fintan: Nice job, both describing and building. I think that first sail test is a bigger step than painting or flipping the boat back and forth. At this point it's pretty much sailable! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ruedel Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 And I envy you, because you are getting close to that fanastic feeling when you see it roll into the water and float off the trailer for the first time. It almost makes me want to start a new boat. Almost, but no quite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Sylvester Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Boy do I remember that day! I've even got a picture of it. Same deal, I got most of the rigging up and just HAD to put up the jib. Wind was from the port beam and so the jib filled to a nice beam reach. Didn't even have the clubfoot done so I sheeted off the the starboard chainplate. Thought I was gonna bust I was so happy! Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdrown Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 I rigged the boat the night before I left for Massachusets to launch her a little over a year ago. I put the rig down and it still took at least 2 hours to get everything untangled at the lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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