Temporary work stoppage...

It doesn't seem as if work is going to slow down anytime soon so I don't know when I'll be able to get back to work on Jack-a-roe.

Unfortunately, I got what I was asking for which was to have a job which was satisfying, fulfilling and whenever possible, profitable. Now I have satisfying, fulfilling and occasionally profitable up to my eye balls and find myself putting in 12 hour days during the week and way too much on the weekends. As a result the boat just sits and waits.

The one project I will have to make time for is redoing the tarp set-up before the snow flies. This needs to be soon because it was kind of snowing on and off today. Hopefully I can come up with a design that allows me to work out there day or night in comfort, ie... with plenty of space around the boat to work and so that can safely use a heater to work in the cold of the NH winter.

I will occasionally still post pictures from our last sail last week, Cicada's haul out, progress on Charlie's new boat barn (wish it was mine) and Justin's new boat (when ever he gets one) and of course pictures of the kid...

but unfortunately, it may be a while until there is any satisfying pictures of progress on Jack-a-roe.

Life starting to get in the way of the boat project...

A few months back I left a job I had for several years. It was a great job but I was burnt out. After quitting, I had a lot of free time. I was starting a new very flexible part time job and trying to create (from the ground up) a full time job as well. For a couple months things were great, I was working on the boat constantly and the "real life"-work to boat-work ratio was perfect for me. I wasn't bringing in much money but the boat was coming along nicely. Well, now the part time job has become full time and the new endeavor is taking off and is also full time. So now here I am with two full time jobs, working on a nice fall Saturday inside, in front of the fire, when I should be out working on the decks.

I know that there is still a really long winter ahead of us and I still have plenty of time to work of the boat between now and the spring, but for the first time, I'm getting concerned that this boat may not be ready to launch if I stay this busy with work.

The kid better start working overtime.

Deck progress...

The storm wasn't really that bad. There was some rain and strong gusts but all boats made it through fine and no real damage to speak of. I think it takes a lot more than that to impress most NE Yankees. We have more than a few friends who like to go out for drinks and dinner in Portsmouth when the weather gets bad because it keeps the tourists and the otherwise meek at home which leaves the town to the rest of us. They tend to think of blizzards, 6 foot snow drifts, strong Nor' Easters and crumbling sea walls as good drinking weather. This storm didn't come close to qualifying and we ended up just going to family and friends for a few beverages. Jack a Roe made it through with no problem. A few months back the trap made it through 50+ MPH gusts and was fine. This storm supposedly had 65 MPH gusts, but it didn't seem to be a problem for the tarp which is saying something because it sits 6 feet off of the "deck" of the boat and acts like a sail in the wind.

Speaking of the decks, there was a really nice day after the storm on Sunday and I had enough time to lay out templates on the deck and then carried them over to the marine ply to cut matching pieces out that will eventually be the new deck. The templates were made using drawing paper that the kid had in her play room.


Maya's old drawings taped together to make template


traced and cut


Perfect fit.

It seems that even when the kid is in Puerto Rico and unavailable to help out I'm still able to find a way to involve her in the project. The next step will be to seal the edges of the cut pieces with epoxy, screw them down into the existing deck, fill any and all voids with epoxy, sand/fair this surface out and prep for the fiberglass. At least one layer over all and at least two layers where the hardware and stanchions are placed. Then sand and fair that out before painting.

With the weather staring to get cold and my work (real work, the kind that pays the mortgage) getting busier and busier, I having my first real concerns that the boat wont be ready for the spring. As much as I want to see it in the water, I don't want to rush any project and sacrifice the quality of the work (ie, get it wet before it's really done and done right).

NH weather...

So the kid is in PR for 10 days to help her grandparents install a generator in their boat down there. The plan was that I would use the time to finish the deck on jack a roe. For the first few days neither Maki or I finished work until 7, 8 and 9 pm, so there wasn't much of a chance to get much done. Then the plan was to do the work on Thursday which had a fair forecast. The day came and the forecast changed so again not much was done. Then the plan was to work on the deck on Saturday (today) because the weather was supposed to be nice. Unfortunately, now the remnants of a hurricane are rolling through the coast and the forecast is calling for steady hard rains, coastal flooding with wind blowing 25 with gusts up to 65 mph. Now not only cant I get the work done, I'm also worried about the boat cover being blown off.

I have the marine ply and gallons of epoxy just waiting for good weather. The weather is supposed to be sunny and 60 tomorrow.

We'll see.