Back from Florida, time to turn it on!

Just got off the plane from Tampa, had a great weekend with Kelly's family, and I am definitely 10 pounds heavier. What better way to work it off than shaping and planing my stem and transom?

These next few weeks are going to be really interesting. I am moments away from connecting my stem and transom, next step will be fairing and planking.

Fairing is the process by which the outside edge (edges) will be smoothed down to receive the planks. This means that when the plank is applied, all the surfaces that will make contact with the plank will be absolutely flush. Sounds easy, but this is what will make or break the quality of the boat.

In order to fair, I have to use a fairing batten. A fairing batten is a long strip of wood, in this case the exact thickness of the plank (that way I can get a good read on how the actual planks will respond). Where do I get one? Well, as soon as I get my planking stock in and plane it down (with machine, not by hand, are you crazy!?) I will use a strip of the excess. I have never faired anything before, so this should prove interesting. An old salt once said, "You can plane wood off but not back on." Basically, just go really slow and be extra cautious, and if I mess up? Just slather some glue or something on it, I dunno, I'll figure something out.

This weekend coming up is my other life at the Elissa and Dickens on the Strand all courtesy of the Galveston Historic Foundation, so I must admit that my attentions will be somewhere else. Oh and I have a few tests and papers due... sigh... I am so ready for a zombie apocalypse.

There I am in all my splendor last year

Tell ye friends, tell ye enemies, just please, tell somebody!

Fair winds, stong rum!

Brett

Finally a post (and video) about the boat!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here is the first video in a series of videos about to be published. Let me know how you like them, leave comments or email me~ Brett

Lone Star Bike Rally (and the ER), San Jacinto, Sailing!

I'm a little bit late in reporting some of the latest things, and for good reason, I got my bell rung! More on that at 5 o'clock on Channel 9! Just kidding, I'll tell you now, but let's get dinner and a movie first before you start getting the good stuff ;P.

Lone Star bike rally was awesome! It was filled with some awesome bikes, awesome food, and some really cool people. Saturday at 5 was the veteran's parade which was short but so cool. The Navy band was there playin' some jazzy rifts--It sounded just like second line music from NOLA!

But the voyage would ultimately be a tragic one...

I don't remember a swedish massage calling for a neck brace...

All good things must come to end, sometimes violently. This was the most G-rated picture I could show you, the rest were pretty graphic. What happened? Well, to make a short story shorter, a guy tried to jump me, and when things started going south for him, his friend decided to jump in and help him, and he brought along his friend called 'brass knuckles,' the rest is history. A swollen eye, fractured nose, and some gashes later, here I am. I have definitely been hurting a bit, missed a week of school, yada yada, but every cloud has a silver lining...

First off, I got to wear an eye patch for a week, that is just pretty awesome. Then, I got waited on hand and foot by my girlfriend, even better. I got to miss a week of school (cool now until I have to make everything up). My left nostril used to barely work due to a previous nose-break, and now it works even better! Sweet bruises and scars decorate my face. And the dudes who did it? Well they got put in the klink pretty quick like, and I found out they have to pay my medical bills (I've been ordering Morphine cocktails ever since.)

There is a bit of good in everything :)

Yesterday was a blast! I went to San Jacinto--the place where Texas won her independence! It was so cool, what a great place. Every Texan needs to make a pilgrimage to this mecca once in their lives. 900 Texians vs 1600 Mexicans, 9 Texas dead, 650 Mexican dead. That's what you call a "Decisive Victory." 

Yea!

This is Kelly directly after the Texas Independence movie she slept through

The monument is pretty sweet, it is super tall, way taller than the Washington monument. Go figure. Down below is me with the Texas Navy Exhibit, and the Hawkins Flag, the first Texas Navy Flag.

Don't let my bruis-ed eyes detract the glory of the flag

And what a better way to the end the weekend than with a flounder fishing turned sailing trip in a beautiful, blustery, Galveston day! Kelly and I spent the the day with Seth, Cameron, and Sharon. Seth and his wife, Jen, have a biological research company that specializes in the Gulf Coast, check it out! JPL Marine Labs

Salty Cap'n Seth of JPL Marine Labs

Cap'n Cameron and Sharon

Me n my swabby!

Check back in soon, more with the boat build now that my ears aren't ringin' and a lil bit of Texas history comin' soon!!

Thanks for all the views and support, this blog is nothing without you, the readers! Please help spread the word by telling friends and posting links. Thanks!

Brett!    email if you have any questions about anything or boat building times!

Greek Fest, Witches' Ball!

Last weekend was extremely eventful. My friend, Lt. Dan (I'm not joking, he is a 2nd Lt. and his first name is Dan, oh cruel world) visited me and Kelly on his drive from Florida to his new duty station. I really wanted to show him a good time and tell him a little bit about what Galveston is all about.

We started out Saturday with a visit to Greek Fest. That was a wash. Expensive to get in, expensive to eat, not much too see. I realize that all the money was for a good cause helping the church out but that doesn't mean the simple laws of supply and demand don't apply. If you want to make money, offer a product people will be extremely happy with at a good price and offer it to them many, many times. First of all admission fees discourage potential income. Also, if you are gonna sell food, offer it at multiple booths, not just one. If you are going to use a ticket system (which I agree is the best route to go) make it easier to buy the tickets and to exchange them at the booth. But I digress, I still had a decent time, just wished they would have accomplished what the Lutheran Church did with Oktoberfest.

Next, we did a little walking tour of The Strand. That place never gets old for me. Some of my highlights of the area were Jean Lafitte, The Second Battle of Galveston, and one of my favorite Texas heroes, Commodore Edwin Moore.

That night was the Witches' Ball, hosted by the The Witchery located on Post Office near the strand. It was an awesome time that I barely remember!

Guy from Eyes Wide Shut, Perseus, Medusa, Zombie

Had a little incident this weekend, so I apologize for being so slow on the posts. What happened? Let's just say I get to wear and eye patch for a little bit, aaarrrggghhh!!!

Tell a friend, Tell anyone!

Brett!