Abaco Dinghy Restoration - Cleats

30 Apr 24:

We continued removing old paint today and removed a few cleats so that we could sand easier. We took photos with hopes of getting the cleats back into the same spots when we put the boat back together. 

But first we pondered this transom seam. It seems that one of the plank nails has worked to make the seam wider, so we might ct part of that nail out before we pull the transom pieces back together. We'll see how it looks after we soak the hull.

It has warmed up enough that we are switching to shade seeking mode, so the dolly rolled out onto the Quarterdeck for today's fun.

Several cleats are homemade, we imagine they were made for use with the sail rig and for convenience when the boat is in tender mode.

This cleat's fasteners caused issues...

...and while we could have just made a new cleat, we thought it would be fun to save the old cleat with some adhesive.

Stowed the Dinghy and the Nutshell Pram for the evening, they swapped spots in the Boat Works shed.

 Log of HENNING. 

You Guessed It - Abaco Dinghy Paint Removal

29 Apr 24:

More paint removal on our Abaco Dinghy HENNING today. But first we spotted some turtles during our walk at Lake Mariner/Noland Trail, part of the Mariners' Museum complex. 

Last week it was cool and windy, so we were happy to have a heat gun and a protected, sunny spot on the driveway for messing about with boats. Today the temp was in the mid 80s (F) with plenty of sun, so we found a shady spot on the Quarterdeck.

You may remember back in 2022, on a hot Summer day when Skipper abandoned me on the driveway for a shady spot behind the sheds. I followed her and sanded on the Pram EXCUSE ME while she laid out her plan for "The Quarterdeck."

Paint removed from two more sections today, so we are getting close to finishing the bulk of the removal on the interior. We'll make another finishing pass to clean up spots we missed and do some finish sanding on the thwarts, with 120 grit sandpaper. We are not looking for a shiny smooth, fine furniture finish for the interior, that has no place on a small boat, for one thing it is slippery. For another, that is too much glare. We prefer a satin sheen and a little bit of texture (grip) on the interior. 

Log of HENNING.

More Paint Removal for HENNING

27 Apr 24:

We shifted our paint removal focus up to the bow for a few sections. Heat gun, scraper, then a light sanding.

Log of HENNING.

Paint Removal and Yardscaping

26 Apr 24:

Removed some more paint and spread some river rock.

We also recycled trim for the shed's window. Paint to follow after the caulk dries.

USS WISCONSIN Turns 80

19 Apr 24:

We visited the USS Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk, she just turned 80. We checked out one of the boilers and also the radio room.

I got to land on the WisKy while she was on active duty, during Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf, 1991. Here's my spot.

Happy Birthday WisKy!

"The Fleet Is In" Artwork

26 Apr 24:

We commissioned a piece of art from our friend Richard, one of his mediums are beach bits that he collects near Boston.

 We chose a Lugger and a Sunfish, Richard added the Nutshell Pram for fun. 

New Old Paddle

 03 Sep 23:

I found an old paddle in a junk shop last year, and planned to repair it. After tripping over it for a year we decided it was too long and that we could cut it down to a shorter length, trim the blade to a Greenland shape and make it a paddle suitable for a wee lass and/or Sunfish cockpit.

The shaft is about an inch wide so I cut a 12 inch long diagonal scarf in two spots, to remove some of the length.

Next I marked the centerline of the blade, with plans to trim off one edge to match the narrowers side. I'll also cut off the damaged end of the blade. 

23 Apr 24:

Finished!

One Million Views

14 Apr 24:

We started our blog in January 2013 with a purpose "...to share information on small boat restoration, sailing and maintenance." This is our vehicle to pay forward what others have shared with us. A little over 2000 posts later we passed the One Million Views mark! 

Views started to rise during the pandemic, and took a big jump in 2023.

It has been fun to have viewers from around the globe, and although a good number of them are bots, many are real human beings who have reached out to us to exchange knowledge. We've been happy to help with technical knowledge on boat builds in South America and Africa. And we even met a fan in our local grocery store parking lot..."Oh, you're the Small Boat Restoration people!" 

We do indeed reply to comments, so if you have questions or suggestions, drop us a note in the Comments section. 

Global view locations, well, internet server locations anyway.

We've also enjoyed seeing friends check in, one in particular we followed around the globe, a little red dot by Durban a few years back brought a smile to our face.

And we like getting visits from our friends down on the Gulf Coast.

So thanks for tuning in. Keep an eye out for exciting changes coming in 2025, "Clark" Kent (me) will be retiring from a 25 year Air Line career, and be freed up to play with more boats. Skipper and I hope to expand our hobby adventure a bit into a small, fun business, offering more Small Boat Owners Manuals, plans, patterns and build guides. We also plan to build more boats, on speculation or commission. And Skipper will be creating pirate clothes under her brand "Pirating About." If you need a pirate coat, she's the best tailor out there!*

Give us a shout,

"Clark" Kent and "Skipper" Audrey

*Everyone needs a pirate coat...