Oktoberfest, Hardware Galore, Unpopular Poplar

What a beautiful Galveston weekend it was! On Saturday, Kelly and I attended the outstanding Oktoberfest downtown. Why was it so good? You tell me:

es gut, ja?

Did you see it? Don't be fooled by the pretty girl, my friends, look at the size of this beer! This is no optical illusion, this real. 32oz of pure, unadulterated, sweet-sweet, nectar of the German gods! My head exploded when I saw these, and exploded a second time when I learned that you get to keep the mug. How much did it cost? Who cares!? Giant Beeeeeeer!!!

What if I were to tell you it got even better? It did. Because then my head exploded a third a fourth time because we proceeded to eat sauerkraut, red cabbage, potato salad, pork, and a giant sausage on a bun with everything you can think of... needless to say, that day ended with me moaning in the fetal position while clutching my stomach.

And finally, the boat.

Wanna see what $90 looks like?

Dollar is for sizing, not an added bonus

Yea, that's it. Kinda depressing, huh? I have been waiting this whole time for hard ware (screws, boat nails, roves, etc.) and here it is. I put in an order about a week ago, and basically got a hundred of everything. So, I was expecting this large package, looming on the front porch when I got home. I imagined the FedEx guy, lugging this thing up there with a dolly. I get home and it's nicely placed in my mail box. Then, I open it up and I see this. I was looking for Ashton Kutcher, I felt Punk'd. Insert frowny face emoticon :(. Well, I don't blame anyone, just my overactive imagination, but a thanks to Jamestown Distributors-especially the guy who packaged this up for me, Mac. Thanks Mac!

 copper rosehead nail, copper rove, bronze boat nail, bronze screw

My frames are done, except for some final fairing, and now on to the stem and transom. The stem and stern of my boat are turning out to be the biggest pains in the butt I could ever imagine. They are supposed to be 2" thick oak, and in the case of the transom it also has to be 31" tall and then, at the widest point, 18" wide! How am I supposed to find oak like that without giving up my first-born? (You would have to go to a port city in the far-east to get it anyways, ha!! (That's a joke, Mom.))

Instead, I decided to laminate some boards. Laminating is when you glue a bunch of boards together. I went to Home Depot (how any good project starts) and went to go get some oak. They were $55 dollars a stick! But then I saw right next to them a wood called Poplar. Poplar is what you call, a soft-hardwood. Softwoods are coniferous trees, hardwoods are deciduous (coniferous=like pine, green all year, deciduous=like oak, loses leaves in fall). Poplar is deciduous, but much softer than a traditional hardwood. Hence soft-hardwood. 

3 3/4" boards laminated, oak frames in the background

Traditional boat builders may scoff at my use of laminated poplar in place of oak, but those fellas aren't paying my bills. 

So for awhile there was calm with nothing much to do, now there is about to be a storm. I now have to: screw in the cleats, screw in the frames, adjust and fair the frames, cut out the stem and attach, laminate more boards for the transom, apply the rocker to the bottom, cut 4" off my middle saw horse, cut out the transom and attach, plane off excess wood, put spalls on the frames, adjust and tune all frame structure, order side planking, make or buy clamps, get some more battens for fairing and spiling, etc.. My work it cut out for me, now add in all the future tests I have as well and you can see that my life is about to get hectic. But I'm still happy!

Next weekend, Galveston Greek Fest, the The Witches Ball brought to you by The Witchery, and many more yet to be determined things!

Fair Winds and OPA!!!

~Brett~