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Friday, October 29, 2010
The stuff of nightmares
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Thursday, October 28, 2010
GO for restoration. I repeat, we are a GO for restoration.
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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Flash your neighbors!
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Trying to talk to the girls - or - disappointment
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(No. 3) N36114
Getting waaaay ahead of myself
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Monday, October 25, 2010
Checking e-mail
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Take it off!
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Friday, October 22, 2010
A musical FULLBORE FRIDAY
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
An update -a virtual post-it note
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Like dirty shorts on pay day
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
A little Dockyard S & M
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Monday, October 18, 2010
Looking for trouble
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Friday, October 15, 2010
Fullbore Friday
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Thursday, October 14, 2010
NHS Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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If detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer exceeds 96%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Restoration Planning
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Both boats need to be stabilized in place. This means allowing the keel to rest on a flat plain to prevent possible distortion due to loading during restoration, and minimizing the force at concentrated points along the planking. For these reasons, improvements need to be made on the existing cradles.
Basic stabilization is as follows:
Keel Blocking. A series of six hardwood blocks will be assembled under the keels at intervals not exceeding four feet. Attention should be paid to not obstruct the centerboard opening. Judicious use of shims, tamped ground and wedges will ensure all blocks load as evenly as practicable.
Upright Support. Two diagonal risers are to be fitted on each side of the hull under the turn of the bilge, perpendicular to the keel, and secured from lateral movement on the ground. A plank will span the upper ends of these, and allowed to bend outward along the curve of the hull fore and aft. Careful treatment to span a large area for maximum distribution of forces shall dictate the execution of this process.
Caulking. The existing caulking of both boats needs to be entirely removed and the seams closely examined. New caulking throughout shall consist of an agreeable blend of traditional techniques and modern materials per sound and proven practice. In other words, its a complicated evolution. I won't say we'll keep 100% historically accurate, but I will find a blend that duplicates historical practices as much as possible but gives some advantage in terms of performance, durability and longevity.
Painting and Finishing. Both boats shall be painted and finished in a similar a manner as practicable, the goal being that they should be as close in appearance as possible. Colors, stains and finishes shall be determined at a later date. You can bet they'll look similar to Monomoy No 1.
On the individual boats:
Monomoy Pulling Boat No. 2
Removal of Fiberglass Sheathing. The fiberglass sheathing on the outside of the hull needs to be removed before any other work is undertaken. We will attempt this with a heat gun, pulling the glass away in sheets. Protective suits, respirators and gloves will be worn by the crew doing this. Work on No. 3 must cease while this process is carried out, and may not resume until completion. This will avoid potential hazards to those personnel while limiting cross-contamination with glass dust and fibers from No. 2.
Once the glass is removed, work can begin on stem and sternposts. These exhibit severe shrinkage, cracking and failure of fasteners. Much of the original material will need to be replaced, using the original parts as templates where possible. Attention must be paid that materials and techniques are duplicated as closely as practicable. The bronze drifts may be salvageable.
Monomoy Pulling Boat No. 3
Stem and Sternpost Repair. Though not as severe as No. 2, the stem and sternpost are exhibiting some of the same symptoms of deterioration. These need to be addressed. Extent of necessary repairs will not be known until the material is removed and inspected. Work should immediately follow the same repairs conducted on No. 2.
Replacement of Broken Frames. Several of the steam-bent double frames are cracked or broken and need to be replaced. All other frames should receive close scrutiny, and possibly be removed for inspection.
BT
There are undoubtedly more issues that will arise as we progress. For now, we are GO to begin stabilization and to prep for glass removal on No. 2. Expect complete plans on both of these evolutions, along with required tool and material lists by the end of the week. These efforts will be followed in short order by the stem and sternpost repairs, and then frames and floors.
We have an exciting winter ahead.
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HAPPY 235 NAVY! and a few other comments
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On 13 October 1775 the Continental Congress passed a bill authorizing the procurement, fitting out, manning, and dispatch of two armed vessels to cruise in search of munitions ships supplying the British Army in America. The legislation also established a Naval Committee to supervise the work. This was the first step toward creation of a national naval force, that through various reiterations has become the US Navy of today.
BT
On a totally unrelated topic and as a complete and total rant, I want to point out the recent political candidates - and there are several - being heckled for reenacting.
I am not going to stand up for these folks, but neither will I add to the barrage. It bears pointing out that the general public is coming out to say they find most historical reenactments silly and inane. That's nothing new. The idea takes a lot of getting used to and most younger people I know who do reenact won't talk to their other friends about it. It's a source of embarrassment, ridicule and criticism. Is this fair? Why or why not? Politically charged race and religious issues aside, there are other factors here, less easy to examine. Why are reenactors so easy to criticize?
The concept, when viewed from the outside, is highly suspect. Line up "opposing forces" across a field, then shoot blanks at each other and pretend to fall down to simulate death. A historical event that caused so much pain and suffering is romanticized in melodrama for the "education of the public". Then the participants get up, brush off and head back to their camps to lounge around and talk about how cool it was, while the public generally tries to figure out exactly what it was that they just saw.
The same concept, as viewed from the reenactors' perspective, is quite different. In the interest of preserving history, educating the public and building their own understanding of historical people and events, they invest piles of time and money to produce an impression that allows them to transform in one way or another into a living representation of their subject. The fights demonstrate period tactics and maneuvers and allow the public insight - in living color - into the events that transpired and helped shape the nation, other nations and the world. Generally speaking, unpleasantness is kept to a minimum, in the interest of keeping things appropriate for families. And the events add a further layer of interest in that each one is a meeting, where like-minded folks can gather together to discuss their hard work in the recent interim and enjoy each other's company.
So... two sides of the same coin. But unfortunately, there's a rub. The repulsive view of the coin is on the face - the obverse is a bit concealed in the modern social atmosphere. This causes many people to not want to get involved, limit their involvement or keep their involvement quiet. And the coin is relatively flat - it is difficult to see and understand both sides simultaneously. That is to say, the farther afield you go to see your side, the less and less you see the other.
We have a great saying in the Navy, that perception is reality. This is clearly the culprit here.
I would like to think that I live on the edge of the coin, but I think I'm straying back more and more toward that ugly face view of it lately. For instance, I just can't see the merits of battle reenactments anymore - for many reasons. Of course, I will continue to support the direction dictated by the NHS Board of Directors - so if they say go shoot and fall down, that I will do. But the overall direction of NHS in general is shifting farther and farther away from the back of the coin, partially in search of recruits, partially for fundraising, partially because it was getting boring - and moving toward something easier for most people to understand, get on board with, and support. We saw this in the past year where for every event in costumes we had three without. 2011 will be even farther afield from reenacting - mark my words.
BT
I just noticed last night that the webmaster thinks he can turn my blog background pink as some sort of compensation for the errors in the NHS website. Shouldn't you be fixing the uneven text size and really bulky HTML code instead of messing around with my background? Just saying.
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Tuesday, October 12, 2010
A quick lesson on "not being that guy"
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Monday, October 11, 2010
Back from vacation, and down to business
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Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Done, and I'm taking a vacation!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Execution is fun with MONSTER FORKLIFT!
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General quarters! General quarters!
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Monday, October 4, 2010
The master plan is underway!
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Okay, so a very busy weekend was had at the Dockyard. The 25-foot Launch keel shaping is nearly complete and the frame blocks are almost all in place on the molds. Several visitors kept me busy on Saturday, coming out to look at the place and see all that's taking shape. That would be awesome if I weren't neck deep in flying woodchips - for cripes sake people call ahead! We also managed to complete the plan for shifting Monomoys 2 and 3 into position behind the Framing Bay along the fence line, where the ground levels off.
BT
The website has been updated. Note the lack of enthusiasm. It has SOME of the planned bells and whistles but it's not as great as it will be (I am told). First, I can understand that the timeline for launch was pushed up a week. But come on, the text isnt even the same size from page to page. Attention to detail! Oh well, it is better than it was. I have to pick on the web guy, its in my job description under paragraph eh hem yeah.
BT
A fundraising drive is underway to raise money for the transport and housing of Monomoys 2 and 3. If you're a fan of NHS and like seeing what we do, help us get these two beautiful boats to Norfolk so we can start their restoration! Go to http://www.navalheritage.org/ and click on the DONATE NOW button to donate via credit or debit card via PayPal. Do it just so the web guy has to go back and update that lame thermometer graphic "every day". Make the blaggard work! I'm personally going to keep pitching in $5 and $10 just to make him have to keep going back.
I'm horrible, I know.
.
But in all seriousness, our goal is to raise $3,000 - and we already have a matching funds donor, so every dollar we recieve is DOUBLED. Help us get there by November 1 and keep the program on track to re-launch these beautiful boats next spring!
.
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Friday, October 1, 2010
The importance of making friends with the natives, or yankee boaters in the southland
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The schnozberries taste like schnozberries!
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Okay, appologies for the comms blackout at such an exciting time - I've been very busy trying to coordinate everything going on at the Dockyard. What is that? you might ask. For those who've been under a rock, or flood waters, all week, here is the list:
2) we've been offered two wooden Monomoy Pulling Boats - for free. These are all wood, centerboard equipped boats in great shape. They will need minor structural repairs, refinishing inside and out, some caulking, all new oars, new masts and spars, sails, rigging, trailers - the whole kitten kaboodle. BUT they are prime specimens for restoration and addition to the NHS inventory. at the Dockyard we've been clearing and levelling space where the tents to house them will be set up, and planning other space for materials etc as well as updating the Severe Weather Plan to include them.
3) a big fundraising push is about to be made to raise some $1,500 in costs associated with getting the new boats down from NYC and provide for their accommodation here at the Dockyard. That means a lot of research on my part, and others, to figure out the most cost-effective means of doing all that. I understand the new website update has been pushed and can be expected on Monday - along with a letter to our membership and fans about the fundraising efforts. For reference, no we are not soliciting our members for money - we are asking them to go out and approach local businesses. The info packet coming out Monday discusses that in detail.
SOOO that being said, I need to get back to work! So much time and so little to do --- strike that, reverse it.
Yeah, you're still probably not getting those references... why do I try...
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