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Log for the Week Ending October 5, 2003

Sunday, we returned home from a wedding in Massachusetts.  We arrived home much earlier than I had expected--we were home by 0930--so, anxious to get back to work after a couple days away from my pet project, I changed clothes and headed out to the barn to work on the big doors.  Before leaving on Friday, I had laid out the V-match boards for the doors, and noticed that I had underestimated (of course), so I was several boards short.  No problem, figured I:  just pick some more up on Monday.  With that in mind, I set to work building two of the doors.  It took most of the rest of the day, but I completed both doors and made preparations to build the final door on Monday.  

Click here to read more detail about the door construction.

Monday just didn't start out that well.

I was up and at it bright and early, hitting Home Depot just after 0600 to pick up the boards I needed for the final door.  I like to go and get my materials early, so I don't waste any of the good part of the day.  Plus, the store is always quieter and easier to deal with at that hour.

I trudged in and went directly to the pine section.  I found what I at first thought was the right stuff (I later realized it wasn't even the right thing--it was shiplap pine, rather than the tongue-and-groove V-matched pine that I needed), only to see that it only came as long as 12'.

Criminy.  

It was at about this time that I realized that the material wasn't even the right stuff, and that they didn't have any of the stuff I needed.  Rats.  Sighing deeply, I went to another aisle looking for the one 3/4" foil board (insulation) that I needed to complete the last door--again, I had slightly underestimated in my original order, and needed one more to make up the difference.  I found 2", 1", and 1/2", but no 3/4".  Sheesh--what a bust.  I decided to at least pick up some flat pine stock that I needed to trim out the windows in the barn, so I took that and headed back towards home.

On the way home, I stopped off in Yarmouth at Hancock Lumber to get the V-matched pine.  At the counter, the gruff attendant told me that they order this stuff only by the lineal foot, in random lengths, and had no way of knowing if they had the 16' in stock or not.  She recommended that I check the warehouse first, before transacting anything, so out I went.  Of course, they had every size except 16'.  Since the doors are 15-1/2' high, I needed the long stock.  I considered buying shorter boards, and splicing in pieces, but decided (stupidly) not to.  I drove home.

Back at the site, and disappointed, I decided to call the lumberyard to see if they could obtain the 16' lengths I needed.  The guy said he'd check and get back to me.  I figured I could stand waiting till the next day or something, if I found out that the material was in stock somewhere else and could be delivered to me.  (I'm still waiting for his return call, by the way...)

With that out of the way for the moment, I returned outside to start working on the door track for the main doors.  I set up my 12' stepladder and soon realized it wasn't high enough, so I stood up my 32' extension ladder.  This is a heavy, awkward beast with a substantial moment-arm, and as I raised it I could feel it slipping out of my control--just barely, but enough.  The moment-arm got the best of me, and the ladder started to tip downwards as I carried it.  I nearly arrested its graceful fall in time, but just as I almost overcame it, it bounced off the metal hinge bar on my new stepladder, bending it badly downwards (in the direction opposite that which it is supposed to bend).  D'OH!  This just wasn't my day, I guessed.

Click here to read more about the door track and the installation of the big barn doors.

After installing some trim and then some of the barn door track, I decided to just go and buy the darn 14' V-matched pine I had looked at earlier in the morning, so I climbed in the truck and returned to the lumberyard, where I purchased twice as much of the material as I needed without incident and returned home.  Of course, I forgot completely to ask them about the foil board I needed.

Fortunately, things got better for me after this point, and by the end of Monday I had built the last door (with three short splices that turned out to be completely untraumatic) and raised all three doors into position with their rollers in the track.

Click here to read how.

Tuesday, I finished up installing the door track (I had only installed 2 of the three sections needed--click on the link above to see why).  It was a beautiful fall day (see the sky color in the above photo, which I took Tuesday morning), and I decided to go sailing, which I did.  Later in the day, I fussed around with a few minor barn-related projects, but didn't really accomplish much beyond completing the door track.

During the remainder of the week, I spent as much time as possible working in and around the barn, finishing up whatever details I could.  On Wednesday, I installed trim around the clerestory windows and spent a fair bit of time inside working on my bench and shop setup. 

Click here to see some of the trim details.

On Thursday, I worked mostly inside the shop, setting up some new work stations using some old kitchen cabinets I had saved, and moving most of the tools and such from my old shop out to the barn.  13 yards of crushed rock I had ordered also arrived, and I spent several hours with the tractor spreading the stone all around the sides of the barn and in front, to provide a splash zone  beneath the roof overhangs and to finish off the ramp to the front doors as needed.

Click here for more information about setting up the new boat shop.

Friday and Saturday, I accomplished little of great note, though I fiddled endlessly with myriad details and shop setup in the barn.  My new Monitor heater arrived on Saturday, and I worked in the afternoon to build a platform and install the exhaust and air intake.  Next, I need to pick up an oil tank and install the fuel system.  With cold weather rapidly approaching, it'll be nice to have heat at the ready.

Oh, and in case you're wondering:  I actually touched the Daysailor this week!  But only to remove the power cords that I had had strung up between it and the old shop.  Knowing full well that I wouldn't be doing anything else on board before the boat was moved to the shop, I decided to remove the cords and get ready for the boat's moving next week.

All the work, all the toil, all the expense of the past several weeks came down to this moment:  the barn's ultimate reason for being.  Boats!

It may have seemed a long road, an over indulgence, a cross-track error off the rhumb line of boatbuilding and repair, but on Wednesday, the Daysailor hull was moved inside the barn, alongside her sistership Glissando.  This, after all, is what it's all about.

The early part of the week began in the usual way.  I worked in and around the barn for much of Sunday, but apparently the jobs were relatively insignificant, as I honestly don't remember what I was doing.  Probably working on the shop details and storage.  I think I might have also moved all the jackstands and blocking over to the barn from its old storage place in preparation for Wednesday's boat moving.

Monday was my last sailing day of the season, and it was a beaut.  Tuesday, I did little on the barn, as I had to take Glissando to the boatyard for the mast unstepping (read about that on Glissando's website).  Wednesday morning, Glissando was hauled and placed inside the barn, joined presently by the Daysailor, moved one final time to her permanent project home.

Thursday, it was time to get back to some serious barn-completion tasks--time to start wrapping up all the details so that I could move on to boat work and other tasks.  My first priority:  complete the heating system.  Even though, at the time, we were firmly ensconced in a lovely Indian Summer (of course:  the boat's out), cold weather cannot be far away, and I wanted to get this particular chore off my mind.  Early in the morning, I picked up a new oil tank and the fittings needed for the installation, and installed the tank outside the north wall of the barn.  This was another first for me, but there was certainly no particular difficulty involved.  By late morning, the tank was in place and ready for fuel, so I ordered a delivery for the next day.

See the heating system details here.

In the afternoon, I completed and installed trim over both the front and side door tracks, completing that installation.

Read more about the trim here.

Major barn work is basically complete, but there remain many details still to finish, most notably the exterior paint and stain.  Also, a few details surrounding the rolling doors need to be taken care of, namely latching and final weatherproofing.  These are priority projects that I expect to complete within the next week or so, as time and weather allow.

Then, perhaps, I can get back to work on the boat!

Paint, paint, paint.  That was my focus this week.  Wanting badly to be done with the barn work, so that I could begin to get back to work on the boats, I took advantage of several very nice weather days to blitz the bulk of the barn painting.  Covering the T-111 siding with paint (or, in my case, solid color stain) was a priority before winter set in, as this stuff tends to warp, curl, and delaminate if left untreated for too long.  Besides, I was ready for the barn to look complete as well.

The painting went rather well, and, while a huge amount of work, was actually less time-consuming and easier than I had anticipated.  I applied the stain (Driftwood Gray, Woodscapes by Sherwin-Williams) with a large brush, which went as well as could be expected on the rough-sawn siding.  I was thrilled with how well the stain covered in one coat, and decided to not worry about a second coat at this point, preferring instead to focus on getting the entire structure covered first.  I attempted to use a heavy-nap (3/4") roller, but found it was more work and less successful than just using the brush.

I painted the trim with two coats of Sherwin Williams Perennial Green trim paint, which matches the door trim on the house, helping tie things in together.  As much work as the painting was, it was eminently satisfying to see the building come into its own, looking like it had been there forever.  I was, and am, thrilled with the look.

As of this writing, the main three sides of the barn are done.  I haven't yet touched the back side (in all its blank highness), but hope to get going on that next week, weather and motivation permitting.  But for all intents and purposes, the barn looks done to all but those neighbors in the field behind (who can't really see the thing that much anyway).  I love it.  I hate leaving to return to the house.

Next week, I'll try to post a series of interior pictures to augment what you've already seen here.  Watch for it.

Wednesday brought a classic fall storm to the area, complete with heavy rains and very strong winds, with gusts well into the 50s.  Boy, was I glad the boat was out and safely ensconced in the barn!  It was the sort of storm that wreaks havoc with moored boats in Falmouth Foreside, and exactly the reason I choose to haul in late September or early October.

Between painting and other chores, I found time to fiddle inside the shop, fine-tuning some storage details and moving a few more things from the old shop.

Read more about the shop here.

Comments on the barn so far, now that I've had a chance to work a little inside:  it is everything I dreamed of, and more.  Disbelief (mine, that is) continues over my good fortune in having such a spectacular work space.  Given how much time I have already spent out in the shop, things look good for a very productive winter working on the Daysailor project, as well as Glissando projects.

The shop is a dream come true.  Thanks to Mike Haas, for volunteering to draw up the barn plans, and to Bob Emery for his excellent and reasonably-priced construction work.  And thanks to my wife Heidi for her support and encouragement.  It's a hobby gone out of control, this boat work of mine.

I happened to be standing on my bench installing something on the back wall when I glanced forward and noticed this unique view of the Triton hull.  A Triton never looked so beamy as #100 looks in this view!  I believe this may be a good perspective for many of the upcoming progress shots as work begins on the boat.

Stay tuned for much, much more to come in the near future.  Please also check Glissando's site for a series of relatively major projects that have already begun this fall.  It's been three full seasons of use since the refit, and now it's time for the refit after the restoration.  It promises to be a busy winter of boat work.

Click here to visit Glissando in the barn and read up on the latest work. (Opens in a new window)

Last week took a lot of work and effort on my part, but, as the new week began, I was very glad.  The weather turned cold and sour over the weekend, and remained unsettled for most of the week.  It would have been frustrating if I had not completed as much of the painting last week as I did.  There really is something to the old saying, "Make hay while the sun shines".  I try to always take advantage of good days for the appropriate pursuits, and last week was no exception.  The payback is now, under low scudding clouds and intermittent rain and even (shudder) snow showers.

With the barn effectively painted (I'll get to the back side once--or if--the weather improves), the project was nearly at a close, with only the inherent enjoyment of the structure remaining.    Even with gaps beneath the rolling doors (which need to be sealed before winter gets here), the new heating plant worked extremely well, and it was a great pleasure to open the door and enter a pleasantly warm space.  It still seemed unexpected to me, as I had become so predisposed to working on the boat under colder and raw conditions sometimes.  The warmth of the shop is a boon to productivity.

Click here to see details of how I ended up sealing and securing the doors.

The shop is slowly coming into its own, the more time I spend working.  There is still stuff in the old garage shop that needs to be transferred, and is gradually working its way out to the new shop.   I still need to address some storage issues, namely some sort of shelving where I can store boat gear and other items, but where it is protected from dust and debris that will eventually be flying through the shop.  I am as yet undecided how to handle this, but a solution will come to light.

You may have noticed that many of the photos on the site from the past couple weeks contain an irritating time/date stamp in the corner.  My new-in-June Canon A70 Powershot decided to quit working on haulout day a couple weeks ago, and after fiddling with it and its inconsistent operation for a week or two I finally returned it for service.  Time will tell how much of a disaster this service arrangement is, but it promises to be much too slow, if nothing else.  In any event, I have been using my old HP digital camera, which has its own idiosyncrasies (which is why I replaced it), but at least I can get it to take photos when needed.  It's not usually worth my effort to crop out the date stamp, so there you are.  I look forward to having my other camera back, and in the meantime beg your forgiveness.  Cheap shutter button notwithstanding, I had started to actually enjoy the Canon, after a period of uncomfortable transition.

Thursday brought the first snow of the year--nothing to really speak of, but snow did fill the air during the morning, coupled with temperatures that were nearly 20 degrees below normal.  With the lousy weather all week, I didn't get any exterior painting done on the barn.  

Also, since I was concentrating on Glissando projects, no work occurred on the Daysailor.   Soon, though, work begins in earnest.

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