Bahama Dinghy Gunwale Dry Fit

02 Jun 26:

Skipper insisted that we dry fit the gunwales...

...which involved a few clamps...

...and supervision.

 Log of HENNING

WEAR a PFD - Springtime Cold Water Shock

 31 May 26:

We should have menitoned this earlier. Spring water temperatures lag behind air temp, for example in Maine right now the water temp ranges from the upper 40s to low 50s°F (4 to 11°C). It's a beautiful warm day so folks start putting their small boats in the water. At these temperatures, the risk of cold water shock and hypothermia is extremely high and life-threatening.

The Hypothermia and Cold Water Risk

• Cold Water Shock (Immediate Risk): Water conducts heat away from your skin 4 times faster than air. Sudden immersion in 40-50°F water triggers involuntary gasping, hyperventilation, and elevated heart rates, which can lead to drowning in seconds.
• Loss of Dexterity & Incapacitation: In water below 60°F, you can lose the use of your hands and arms in under 10 minutes, making it incredibly difficult to stay afloat or perform self-rescue.
• Expected Survival Time: At 40–50°F, exhaustion or unconsciousness occurs in 30 to 60 minutes, and maximum expected survival time is only 1 to 3 hours.

Essential Safety Guidelines

• Always wear a life jacket: The Coast Guard and Maine Warden Service strongly advise wearing a well-fitting, Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever we are on or near the water during the spring....(How about all the time when we are on water depths over our head?
• Dress for the water, not the air: Even if the spring air warms into the 60s or 70s, the ocean remains lethally cold. Wearing a wetsuit or dry suit is highly recommended for all on-water activities.
• Track the current data: Before heading out, you can check real-time marine forecasts for the region.

PFD - Wear it.

• End of post quiz...In the photos below, when should we be wearing a PFD?

PFD = Yes

PFD = Yes

PFD = No

PFD = No

PFD = No

?

PFD = Yes

PFD = No

PFD = No

PFD = No

Bottle Jack Fluid Service

30 May 26:

Our little bottle jack leaked all its fluid at one point, so we added some more. We couldn't find bottle jack fluid today, so substituted power steering fluid.

There is a fluid fill hole on the side of the jack, we popped the plug out and filled the jack to the bottom of the hole.

The jack works great again!

 

Sunfish Sailboat Knots and Rigging

 21 May 26:

Sunfish Sailboat Knots and Rigging

Knots for a Sunfish Sailboat. WHY KNOT book now available for purchase: Why Knot: Skipper's Guide to Small Boat Knots

Caulk Gun Hidden Tip Cutter

 18 May 26:

On a caulking gun, most people know about the stiff wire on the tube bracket that is used to pierce the caulk tube seal...

...but some folks are new to the knowledge that there is a tube tip cutter on the side of most caulk guns.

It was certainly news to Pixy, but he is only 1 year old.

We worked on the home interior today, fixed a galley counter top and resealed the seam. We used a clear, paintable silicone latex caulk on the marble, and for the baseboard we will be able to use touchup paint once the caulk fully cures.

Skipper's Mobile Workbench and DeWALT

 17 May 26:

Continuing on Skipper's "put everything on wheels" theme, we built our workbench with some shop flotsam and incorporated wheels. In the shop the bench stays steady as it is pushed up against the wall, and if we roll it outside we put ti in the grass and it stays pretty steady there. Overall if we have projects that requires a super stable surface we tend to work on carpenter benches. We also added a quick release vise and a folding seat.

We have wandered through corded Porter Cable, Black and Decker, cordless Kobalt and mostly use DeWALT now, on a recommendation from Skipper's brother. This middle shelf was a game changer, we are able to lay out most of our power tools in a compact space. 

Skipper's Shop Tips

16 May 26:

We had a home project so the miter saw rolled out on the tool trolley. Skipper advised me a long time ago to put everything in the shop on wheels, so we can rearrange the shop as needed, per project. We made this trolley "Starboard" years ago from scrap and 6 inch wheels, and we move it outside when we are making sawdust. The trolley was built so that the height of the saw table was the same height as our portable card tables, which act as infeed/outfeed when needed. Today the Bahamas Dinghy HENNING held up one end of the counter top legs that we were cutting.

We cut slots in the deck to hold the trolly steady. 

Another tip is keeping an extension cord handy for the saws, as some of the plugs are hidden behind lumber/shelves. We put some plugs about work bench height, that is a good spot, and have found that the 16 inch high plugs rarely get used....unless you keep and extension cord plugged in. That height is also good for chargers that remain plugged in.

Inspector Pixy arrived, surveyed the job site.

Pixy likes to watch cars go by from the front porch, I might need to move projects to the front yard...

Phonetic Alphabet and Numbers Shared with Aviation

 15 May 26:

There are many new words and acronyms to learn in aviation, an entire new language...fuselage, elevator, FAA, NMS, Roger, Over, Unable...If you are just getting started, I would start learning the alphabet and numbers. Venturing into the nautical world creates the same adventure of learning new terms like bumpkin, ahoy, bowsprit, belay that order...

Learning Air Traffic Control (ATC) radio communications phraseology is essential for maintaining clarity, consistency, and safety in aviation operations. One of the most critical elements outlined in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airman Information Manual (AIM) Section 4‑2‑7 is the use of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) phonetic alphabet. This standardized alphabet assigns distinct words to each letter (e.g., “Alpha” for A, “Bravo” for B) to eliminate confusion that may arise from similar-sounding letters, accents, or poor radio quality.

The importance of ICAO phonetics lies in reducing miscommunication, which can lead to serious operational errors. In busy or high-stress environments, such as approach or departure control, even a minor misunderstanding of a call sign, runway assignment, or instruction could result in runway incursions or loss of separation. By using universally recognized phonetic words, pilots and controllers ensure that critical information is transmitted and received accurately, regardless of language background or audio interference.

AIM 4‑2‑7 emphasizes that correct phraseology promotes efficient communication while minimizing the need for repetition. It also supports international interoperability, allowing pilots and controllers from different countries to communicate effectively under ICAO standards. Ultimately, mastering phonetic communication is a foundational skill for aviation professionals and a key contributor to the global aviation safety system.

Table 4‑2‑2: ICAO Phonetic Alphabet

Letter	Word	Letter	Word
A	Alpha	N	November
B	Bravo	O	Oscar
C	Charlie	P	Papa
D	Delta	Q	Quebec
E	Echo	R	Romeo
F	Foxtrot	S	Sierra
G	Golf	T	Tango
H	Hotel	U	Uniform
I	India	V	Victor
J	Juliett	W	Whiskey
K	Kilo	X	X-ray
L	Lima	Y	Yankee
M	Mike	Z	Zulu

There are also signal flags associated with the international code, and sometimes there is a crossover when Navy ships are conducting flight operations.

Fly Smart, Boat Smart

Clark and Skipper

LPD-6 USS Duluth, one of my homes during WestPac 89 and part of the HMM-161(C) Aviation Combat Element (ACE) of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) aka 13th MEU(SOC)...see, the Navy is just as good at acronyms as aviation. 

Painting Trailer Chocks

16 May 23:

Trailer chocks got a coat of Rust-Oleum Safety Red. 

Old US Army Box

10 Nov 23:

We picked up an old box/trunk. It dates to the early 20th Century and we have no idea what was used for...but it will be fun to restore.

Rigger's Box

 12 May 26:

My Uncle's tackle box is about 60 years old, and about 30 years ago I repurposed it to be a Rigger's box. Today we worked on the tiller for the Nutshell Pram.

We use some sizes of hardware quite a bit, so we bought tools specific to thos sizes.

Floorboards for Skipper's Drascombe Lugger

 11 May 26:

13 years ago were were working on floorboards for Skipper's Drascombe Lugger: As it turned out, I got one side done and we sailed that way for 5 or so years, then made the other side just before we published our article on the Lugger in Small Boats Nation. 

One tip is to use wood with a tight grain. We used some green new growth pine once and as soon as it dried, the boards checked. We replaced them with cumaru, which was beautiful, but we found out later that cumaru sinks. Does it matter if floorboards float or not? We think it could be helpful.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Drascombe Lugger Cockpit Sole

Time to replace the cockpit decking in the 1980 Drascombe Lugger. The deck was replaced years ago and is starting to crack.

From Small Boat Restoration

We selected cypress because it is rot resistant and Wilson Lumber runs a cypress sawmill in nearby Milton, FL.

From Small Boat Restoration

All the cypress gets used, as lumber, mulch, sawdust or shavings

From Small Boat Restoration

The lumber is stacked to dry

From Small Boat Restoration

I wanted 10 foot boards, the longest piece needed is just under 9 feet. They had more number 1 grade available in in 12 footers, so I had them cut 2 feet off the end, that way they'd fit in the van.

From Small Boat Restoration

Looks like I got some trailer guides for the ODay trailer from Eddie English while I was in Milton

From Small Boat Restoration

Going to replace the port side first

From Small Boat Restoration

Bilge is not in too bad a shape, just a few 14 year old leaves from Yuma, AZ

From Small Boat Restoration

Laid the pieces out for the port side

From Small Boat Restoration

Flipped the sole over and lined it up with the cypress. Turns out the 2 foot pieces match up perfectly for the part that wraps the centerboard trunk. Used a pencil to trace profile onto cypress

From Small Boat Restoration

Used a jigsaw to trim pieces to size and palm sander to round edges

From Small Boat Restoration

From Small Boat Restoration

Measured widths and length of cross members to transfer over to scrap pieces. Used a square with ruler dialed in to scribe new backers

From Small Boat Restoration

Cut backers and laid them out to match old sole

From Small Boat Restoration

Use brass screws instead of nails, matched nailing pattern. Also drilled pilot holes

From Small Boat Restoration

Dry fit the cypress sole

From Small Boat Restoration

From Small Boat Restoration

From Small Boat Restoration

Sun going down, skeeters inbound. Next I'll put top screws and pick out a protective finish, Lugger lives in garage when not sailing, leaning towards a marine spar varnish for now

From Small Boat Restoration

Skipped the varnish and sprayed on a coat of Minwax Polycrylic, it is a water based finish. It should be good for the light use that the boat gets, easy to apply. Once it wears off we will probably just oil the cypress and let it age naturally.