The Longboats' Chronicle
Edition 2, Feb 26th.
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Regardless of my pace of life, the longboat project is moving along well on a number of fronts. The keel and the numerous other attachments - the stern post, the yoke and the stem - are all now together in one piece, the product of fine craftsmanship and modern glues and fasteners. The stem was attached to the keel this past Monday with epoxy glue and 5” stainless steel bolts. As a wisened ol’ tar might say, “she ain’t gonna come apart, matey!”
First of all, let me apologize to you readers - I hope we have at least a few of you - for the long time since my last entry. I blame it on the snow, the myriad other responsibilities concerning the Loyalist Landing 2008 project and the need to finalize our Society’s 2007 year-end reports to Joint Stocks. Not great excuses, but better than saying that I have had writer’s cramp……
This week, the keel assembly will be put in place in the boat shop where the construction will take place. The photo to the right shows this location. The boat will sit under the beam in the centre of the photo. You can see more detail in the Longboat Gallery. The workers in the photo are adding braces to the beam to help steady it. Supports from this beam will help steady the frames of the longboats as the craft takes shape.
For those of you who will recall from my last entry that I optimistically thought the keel would be laid in the week following that report, do not think that we have fallen behind in the project. I simply underestimated the amount of work required before the keel could be laid - I have a lot to learn about building longboats, too, you know.
Wondering about the nautical flags, boats and other paraphernalia in the photo? The boat shop is an operational museum - open May to Oct - and the artefacts are part of the permanent displays in the building. Workers and visitors interested in the progress of the longboats are reminded daily of the rich heritage of wooden boat building in the Shelburne area.
The rest of us watch with admiration the skills of these two craftsmen and silently await a chance to try our hand at one of these old-time tools. The photo just above shows a close-up of the mortise and tenon cut in order to join the stem post to the keel - a perfect fit!
Work continues in earnest elsewhere on the project. The stove and boiler are in place in the boat yard parking lot and we have only to join the hoses to our steam box to be ready to steam our wood. One can only hope that the weather is a bit warmer when we do the steaming.
The pine planks have been planed to ¾”, the timbers have been cut and planed, also to ¾”, and several of the frames have been finished. The timbers are oak, the frames are spruce. The longest plank is about 26’ long.
In my previous entry, I promised to add some historical perspective to the longboat project. Readers already know that we selected as a model for our longboats the launch of the Bounty, of the mutiny fame. What is the connection to Shelburne, you ask? Well, none directly except that the Bounty’s longboat would have been similar to all such boats of that kind during that period of history. We are therefore constructing a period-correct vessel and are satisfied that similar boats would have been used in the Loyalist landing in Shelburne on May 4th, 1783.
Work continues in earnest elsewhere on the project. The stove and boiler are in place in the boat yard parking lot and we have only to join the hoses to our steam box to be ready to steam our wood. One can only hope that the weather is a bit warmer when we do the steaming.
The pine planks have been planed to ¾”, the timbers have been cut and planed, also to ¾”, and several of the frames have been finished. The timbers are oak, the frames are spruce. The longest plank is about 26’ long.
In my previous entry, I promised to add some historical perspective to the longboat project. Readers already know that we selected as a model for our longboats the launch of the Bounty, of the mutiny fame. What is the connection to Shelburne, you ask? Well, none directly except that the Bounty’s longboat would have been similar to all such boats of that kind during that period of history. We are therefore constructing a period-correct vessel and are satisfied that similar boats would have been used in the Loyalist landing in Shelburne on May 4th, 1783.
There were many details to be completed and most of these depended on the lines being drawn by Bill Cox. It’s a privilege to watch Bill ply his extensive boat building skills on this project - I will write more about Bill’s life-long association with wooden boat building in future diary entries. Bill transfers the measurements to patterns and these are used to trace the necessary component - it is exacting work and he expects nothing less than perfection!
Milford Buchanan, the work crew supervisor, interprets Bill’s instructions and with steady hand and keen eye completes the necessary task - hand planes, chisels and draw knives are the order of the day - to shape the wood into a piece of the longboat.
Milford Buchanan, the work crew supervisor, interprets Bill’s instructions and with steady hand and keen eye completes the necessary task - hand planes, chisels and draw knives are the order of the day - to shape the wood into a piece of the longboat.
What are the other connections to Shelburne? More on that next time…. Until then, I remain
Your loyal scribe,
Jim Mahaney
P.S. Another photo for your enjoyment…… the yoke (unfinished)
Take a look at the Longboats Gallery and see it in its place in the keel.
Your loyal scribe,
Jim Mahaney
P.S. Another photo for your enjoyment…… the yoke (unfinished)
Take a look at the Longboats Gallery and see it in its place in the keel.