Saturday 29 June 2013

Patient Anticipation

The new boat is well on its way, at this point it has been sanded and is having varnish applied to the hull, when that is completed, at least three coats  it will be turned over and the deck varnished. When the deck has been varnished then the deck can be outfitted, the seat and foot braces installed.  None of these steps whether it is a coat of varnish or the installation of the boats outfit take much time, but the varnish has to cure between coats, which means that no matter how strong the desire is to just get the boat in the water you are not likely to be able to apply more than two coats of varnish a day. Working part time you are more likely to be applying one coat a day which means that it will take a week to varnish and install deck rigging, seat, foot braces, and hatch closures.

This is the time of patient anticipation, you need to take the time to finish the boat off right and while it is very possible to take the boat out for a paddle without its finish applied it is much easier to apply the finish without the outfit installed. The Aulavik 18 which is the boat in the shop now is one that I really want to get on the water it was designed to fit me which does not usually happen, most boat series begin based on a place in the market or requests and suggestions from customers. This boat began as a discussion with a paddler looking for a particular boat style, nothing ever developed from those talks as far as a boat for that particular individual, but the idea stuck and the Aulavik 18 was developed. The computer tells me this boat will be easily paddled, but it cannot tell me how the boat will handle, that can be guessed at or surmised from previous designs but the reality will only be known when the hull hits the water.


I sit here at the computer looking out the office door at the upturned hull waiting on the varnish so the next coat can be applied, exercising my not so patient anticipation, filling my head with thoughts of miles to be covered, lakes to explore, of natures beauty, solitude and silence.  Come on varnish dry!

No comments:

Post a Comment