Signal Kilo Stool and Birdhouses

 19 Mar 22:

Used some spare boat paint today to finish up the shop stool and birdhouses. Here's the signal Kilo stool, for my first name initial.

There is some TotalBoat Wet Edge Black, White, Fire Red, Kingston Gray and Yellow in the mix, along with Interlux Brightside Largo Blue. We also got the North point painted.

Wheel Deck and Sunfish Shack Ramps

 08 Mar 22:

The fine folks from Bryant's Land Grading and Tree Service came by to get our back yard graded, which resulted in the need to remove the Sunfish Shack and Wheel Deck ramps temporarily. The resulting change put the ramps at a shallower angle. We reinstalled the Sunfish Shack ramps and decided to eliminate the permanent ramp to the Wheel Deck, instead placing some pavers to act as step stones. When we need to get a trailer or dolly on and off of the Wheel Deck we'll use some portable trailer ramps that we made a few months back.

Still some fine tuning to be made to the steps with light colored pea gravel. We like to have some color contrast to look at when we step down.

Medicine Wheel Paint

 02 Mar 22:

Painted the 4 colors of our medicine wheel. Each color has significance for compass direction and season.

SMEDLEY supervised. He should be paying attention, he'll be the first Hoist Inspector.

We brought out some more plants...Spoiler Alert...too early in the season for that, this in not Florida :)

Unintended consequence, the Winter Sun hits the side of the Sunfish Shack and the darker paint color keeps that wall pretty warm. We hung a thermometer up there and the wall would be around 81F while the air temp was in the low 60s. Guess where Skipper's new favorite spot is?

You're looking Southeast here along the yellow/red sub cardinal. 

While the paint was out, we began painting a few bird houses. The bluebirds have been waiting patiently, they'll have some housing soon. The Wheel colors being used are TotalBoat WetEdge Blue Glo White, Fire Red and Black, and to mix things up the yellow is Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Safety Yellow.

Wheel Deck

 01 Mar 22:

We drew out the circle and 4 quadrants of our  Citizen Potawatomi Nation Medicine Wheel today and painted the outer circle. It was a lot of fun because Skipper of course had her hammock strung across part of the area where I wanted to draw, that's one of her happy places.

We used some TotalBoat Wet Edge single part polyurethane, a lovely color.  

Wheel Deck and Pergola

 28 Feb 22:

Work continues on Boat Works infrastructure. We finished adding purlins to the rafters, they'll provide support for the grape vines and wisteria. Then on the way down from the ladder I drove the last TimberLok screw, which I had started a few days ago but forgot to finish. Our friend Sean noticed it in a photo and commented, so he has his name next to it in perpetuity now....or at least til the Sharpie wears off.

Wheel Deck Rafters and Purlins

 23 Feb 22:

Got the 2x6 roof joists and 2x4 rafters up for the pergola. Fastened with Timberlok screws.

Got the end rows of 2x2 purlins installed.

SMEDLEY is enjoying the company.

More purlins, fastened with deck screws. I think we're winning the race against the wisteria and grapes, but to help them out we added some metal grates for them to climb.

Note the sturdy 2x6 beams aloft, to carry the hoist loads. 

Wheel Deck Hammock

 21 Feb 22: 

Work slowed to a crawl then stopped when the Skippervisor showed up and demanded that hammock hooks be installed. She blocked preogress with her deck chair while I installed lag screw hooks. It took a few tries to find the Goldilocks height, but eventually the Skippervisor was satisfied. Nice sunny, warm day for dynamic hammock testing. SMEDLEY was not much help either, but we did get some more decking down. 

It seems and order was placed for more wisteria and azaleas, so the long suffering crew spent the afternoon digging holes for plants. 

SUPER SANDY enjoyed going offroad with her All Wheel Drive.

The final deck pieces went in, so we'll call that part complete.

Prep for the rafters, we cut ogees on all of the ends. 

Wheel Deck Decking

 20 Feb 22:

SUPER SANDY towed HUEY to pick up decking for the wheel deck. Our new tiedown straps worked great, easy and fast to use.

All of the 2x6 deck joists were blocked level and fit in today, time consuming as we worked to incorporate the 5x8 table top, which was made from 2x4s. We added a ramp and SMEDLEY took part in static load testing. 

The top of the posts are wrapped with 2x6 pressure treated pine. Fastened with Timberlok screws, much faster and just as strong as lag screws.

The scuppernong grape plants that we saved from construction bulldozers will climb up the 2 center posts, and a wisteria that we saved from Florida is on the right side post.

Pergola, Wheel Deck and Boat Hoist

 18 Feb 22:

We picked out a spot in the boatyard to build a decked pergola, it will be one of our spots to enjoy the backyard. Right now it is mostly a mud pit, located next to the Sunfish Shack.

One of Skipper's Gorilla Carts was pressed into service to carry tools, then 6x6 posts and 2x6 framing lumber.

SMEDLEY supervised.

By the end of day 1 we had placed concrete pavers to support the 6x6 post and 2x6 bottom plate framing. The center section of the deck incorporates a 5x8 table top that we made last year, to use as a shelf in one of our moving PODS. 

We call this spot the Wheel Deck because we will paint a Native American Medicine Wheel on the deck, to create a healing place for boats that we restore. There will be overhead 2x6 beams to attach Skipper's hoist, made up of vintage Alcort bronze eyestraps, blocks, halyard cleats and Sunfish sheets with snap shackles. SMEDLEY will be the first customer.

Covered Work Deck Coming Soon

 07 Jan 22:

We marked out the spot with safety cones where plan to build a 12x20 covered work deck, next to the carriage house. When there is no work going on the 15 foot Sorg Runabout WILLOW can nap here.

Citizen Potawatomi Nation Medicine Wheel

I am on the tribal rolls of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, I painted our medicine wheel on the deck by the carriage house. For us our spirit is renewed as we renewing watercraft, and we are thankful for opportunity to do so.

From the CPN website: "Many Native American tribes recognize the significance of the medicine wheel, the colors and directions that are associated with them.

For the Potawatomi, the East is the direction of new beginnings and life, and signifies springtime. It is associated with the color yellow and the Potawatomi medicine of sema (tobacco). As an elder once said, “Sema precedes all things,” meaning tobacco is used by the tribe as a blessing before starting a ceremony or gathering.

South is the color of red, and signifies the summertime, when the weather is warm. It is the direction of abundance and plenty, and is the direction of the medicine kishki (cedar). Kishki is used to prepare for ceremonies, and there is a tradition of a trail of cedar from the fire to the sweat lodge. Pipes belonging to tribal members that were made of cedar would be laid on the ground between the two structures. Kishki is also mixed into tobacco to provide enough smoke to get the attention of the spirits who will see the prayers of the Potawatomi. Cedar boxes are also used to keep mites and other insects off of ceremonial eagle feathers.

West is the direction of the medicine wabshkebyek (sage) and its color, black. Sage is used in the practice of smudging, where smoke is wafted over a person to rid the body of negativity. In fact, prior to CPN Legislative meetings, it is not uncommon for a smudging ceremony to take place prior to representatives and government officials commencing regular business. In the case of eagle feathers, smudging is used to cleanse the feathers. West also signifies the season of fall and of endings, and Potawatomi beliefs traditionally held that once a person passed on, they moved in that direction. This is why traditional burial ceremonies held that bodies were passed out a Western window.

North on the Potawatomi medicine wheel is the color of white, and is the direction of elders and winter time. In the days when the Potawatomi lived in their traditional lands near the Great Lakes, the winter snows were thought have a cleansing power on the land. This is also the time of the year that the spirits are asleep, which is why winter stories are only told during this time. White’s medicine is wishkpemishkos (sweet grass), which attracts positive spirits and used after a smudging of sage.

The medicine wheel is a teaching tool that is intended to help people remember these important and significant aspects of life. Life itself is viewed not as a line, but rather a cyclical thing that has its own seasons of life, death and renewal."