Around LEWIS BOAT WORKS and HEUER GARAGE

08 Nov 22:

I spend a lot of time studying how other shops are set up, so we can have a fun space to mess about ashore. Today our electrician came by to wire permanent power to the HEUER GARAGE, a 12x20 shed that sits right next to the 12x20 LEWIS BOAT WORKS. The new electrical will power 3 wall outlets, and overhead quad outlet with a switch that controls the LED shop lights.

These LED lights came from Lowes, we like them because they come have regular plugs, can be turned off at the light if desired. The light bar also has its own outlet to connect other lights, extension cord, etc. 

The quad outlet is wired to a motion detector/timer by the door, so when the overhead door or personnel door are first opened, the shop lights come on. We have the timer set for 30 minutes. These sheds can be dark even during daylight without a lot of windows, so it is handy to have the lights come on as we come and go, especially with our hands full of boat bits. There is also a setting to adjust the light level at which the lights will come on.

We have tried having outlets up high in a shop, and down at 16 inches above the floor. The votes are in, the high spot is the winner, as outlets down close to the floor tend to get covered by work benches, flotsam and jetsam, etc... And no bending over to plug things in.

The little Sailfish behind the plywood patterns is on a furniture dolly, as are 3 other dinghies in the shop. It only took minutes to move them outside or away from a wall while the electrician did his thing. Having boats and shop gear on wheels allows the shop to be reconfigured quickly, kind of like a theatre set. That is Skipper's influence, she has her Master's degree in theatre and has directed how the stage will be set.

My obsession with flat decks around the shops pays off when it is time to roll things in and out, like I did with WILLOW today. And with good covers, we could leave her outside for a few days if needed and not worry about leaves, critters, rain...and when it is time to go boating the boat is ready to go. Speaking of ready to go, WILLOW got a dedicated outlet for her battery tender, which is a Pro Mariner HD6 smart charger. We've had a nice fresh battery since upgrading to the HD6 several years ago.

P.S. Our handyman asked if we would have liked a bigger shop vs two small shops, and I had two thoughts. One was that no matter what size shop we had, we would fill it up. So to keep things manageable a mid size shop works. If we had a 24x20 shed, the first thing we'd be doing is hanging a plastic curtain down the middle to try and keep sawdust off of the finished boats, so we are liking a dedicated "storage" shed. 

Log of LEWIS BOAT WORKS and HEUER GARAGE.