Bateau Update

Here is the bateau Huckleberry, with foot rests, non-skid strips and oar locks for one rower installed. The last picture shows the option of paddles for two people.
I really like the wood strips glued to the bottom as non-skid, they add a textural beauty in addition to their function. They are a pain and a mess to install, though! The foot rests are permanently glued to the hull, giving support for two distinct sizes of rower. They also stiffen the hull against the stress of the oar pressure.


The oars have been reshaped, reducing weight. They are an old set I bought used. Though they are made of high quality ash, they had been used with a clamp-on oar lock which crushed the looms. (I didn't notice the extent of the damage until, back in the shop, it was too late). The crushed looms have been repaired with epoxy and fiberglass which will be covered in leather chafe guards.

















Dressed in dirty sanding clothes, I will be buried in dust all day. Right now the boat has a coat of epoxy inside and out. Mahogany is a porous wood and is vulnerable to weather damage. The epoxy is a very good base coat which extends the life of the final finish.


It feels good to be this far --- it's only three weeks until the Depoe Bay Wooden Boat Show and Crab Feed! The boat needs at least two coats of varnish, inside and out, and a minimum of two coats of paint on the bottom. That's six distinct painting days, with intervals for sanding.

No rest! Spring is here.
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