So this week we have been enjoying the beautiful weather of Lyme and getting to grips with the concepts of 'lines and lofting' and yet more wonderfully definitions, 'buttock lines' being one among many, it has a certain Frankie Howard quality to it.
One of our tutor's told the wonderful story of one Course going to Beer (a small town on the Devon Coast, though on occasions I have felt like turning to drink) to take the lines off a boat on the beach. This involves measuring the boat in a very specific manner, large plywood squares and tapes and rules etc; it also involves 3 working and the remainder watching and making inane remarks.
This spectacle quickly become a spectator sport with a great many holiday makers coming along to watch the fun, at which point Matt called a halt to the proceedings and announced that now people could see the advantages of the Open Prison System; the area around them magically cleared.
Last week's other adventure was the Clinker Section, effectively our first foray into building a very small section of clinker, including keel, hog, rabbet, garboards and 3 strakes, browed off, nailed, and screwed, and yes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and I am being a smart whatsit.
It was all going so well, that is until I miss measured a fairly vital hole (well 2 actually, followed by a futile attempt to bodge it), correcting this error involved dismantling the assembly and gluing dowels into holes, counterboring them and fitting grain plugs and then re-drilling them; note to self measure thrice drill once...
We have also been introduced to further power tools, the effect of which has been to ensure that a number of us can now make mistakes faster and with real panache!
The Clinker section should be completed tomorrow, just a few more nails and roves to go and then the cleaning it all up so it looks half reasonable. In my case this will involve planning off the excess glue where the repairs have been made, although it has to be said I have received some praise for the quality of those repairs and my creative approach to problem solving.
Still working on the photographs...
