What’s everybody’s winter projects this year?

[Mattlikesbikes]

Nice!!!.  That cover looks like it is doing a great job.  My uncovered CP 19 has about 7 inches of fresh powder on it and as of about 1/2 hour ago a nice layer of ice.   
Maybe next year I will build a cover for it. 

[MacGyver]

I am pretty lucky to have a buddy with a big shed. Our 19 is packed away between a big camper and a enclosed dual axle trailer. The process is pretty neat in order to get it in there, It first gets backed into the Campers bay, then we take the boat and jack it up one wheel at a time setting these dollies under it. Each dolly has 4 casters. 2 dollies later and the whole thing gets slid sideways into place.

This boat also fits in my garage so if there is anything I have to do to it, my truck comes out and the boat goes in.

This winter I finished "Together Time" by adding the eyebrows back on, and making sure it was all cleaned up from being used. I also coated the bow sprit in Spar Varnish and my wife oiled the interior wood which is done 2 times a year.
The forward hatch screen hadnt been installed either so I was sure to finish that.
I had some Butyl tape squeeze out around the fittings yet, so I cleaned that up as well which was a easy job.

I think the biggest problem I had was getting the time to get it all done. As soon as I started a bunch of things came up and I got busy every day, from charity obligations to house work.

Now that the boat is at its winter home, I am hoping to begin work in the shop making Bullet pens again, and getting back to wood turning. I am self taught at wood turning and although I bought some books a while ago, I think I just put em in the shelf to look at them.......
I started making these bullet pens about 6 years ago. I constructed all these tools and dies out of plastic to make pens from .30-06 and .308 shells. These are then drilled and have inserts put in, using all high quality processes I designed myself. As cool as that is, I went so far as to contract with local funeral homes for the military funerals. I also purchased and made a few .50 caliber pens that come in a kit form.

I can take shells shot from 21 gun salutes and cut them down slightly (the pinched end comes off) then transform them into pens that have copper hardware, 24 kt gold or even silver.
The shells "fired finish" was able to even be left in tact if the people wanted them that way.

Those were sold at cost and took a lot of time to make because I used a special set of holders and such as to not destroy them or alter them during the process.
I had one funeral home tell me he could get the shells from every funeral and give em too me so I could have them made up ahead of time to fill orders....... But I didn't do that. It just didn't feel right to be done like that........ and I can tell you that everyone who got them would hug me after receiving them and freely hugged me afterward and told me how the pen was in perfect shape, etc, they were thrilled with them. Makes a guy feel good.

When the lightning got me, the orders were still pouring in as possibilities. My grandma had made the rounds telling the funeral homes I was down for a while, to just keep the possibility open as far as making them went. I closed my shop up when My left arm involuntarily let go of a circular saw I was using and it took off. something I have never had happen before.

My shop sat in the middle of a rework for several years until we started a organization project to lift my spirits. Then we bought the boat.

I also saw this year on FaceBook that a company online makes the very pens that I made years ago. They look to have started this year. Kind of makes me feel like the grandfather of the original ones. Even if I am not, I dont care. I was unable to turn it into something bigger due to big changes in my life. That is just how it goes.

Anyway, that is my plans for the winter. Try to get back into making all the things I used to make years ago, in a newly revamped shop, and who knows, maybe I will turn out some other new trinkets and I meddle with different things.

Thanks for reading, this originally was going to be a short post....... I kinda ran with it. 

Mac

[BruceW]

Still new to my boat, and have to move her to New Bern once the engine is fixed.

I have a short list of things, including some backing plates for deck hardware, a plastic through hull that I think is below waterline and thus needs to be replaced or sealed up, and then, I'll just try to get to know the boat, and put things where they go, figure out the following:

a. solar panel I can leave on the boat between visits to the marina
b. figure out if the radio would work if I had an antenna, etc

[skip1930]

The winter project is to complete my 8 foot 7 inch dinghy before Christmas. [Yea right] Almond color inside. Red urethane outside. White oars, new cedar on bow-stern-gunnels. Luv's that wine glass stern. Looks like it's going to be a tender-tippy boat.

skip.

[Bob23]

Nice little dink, Skip. Do you know what it is? Looks like a nice rower/sailer.
Bob23

[skip1930]

No, sorry Bob.

Neither I nor Dr. Wentworth who gave me this boat have any idea. Many goggle image searches have never come close to this shape.

Doc said it has been upside down behind his Sturgeon Bay 'shack' since 1996 or 1997.
He and two other sailors each bought one of these during their sailing days.  

The hull number -WS 5160 AM- shown was sent off to the Wisconsin DNR. Nothing yet. The Coast Guard won't run the number for me either.
There is NO manufacture name tag or any I.D. molded into the fiberglass.

Doc now has this East Bay 38 stink potter and he let my tie along side. Wild Turkey and 7-up at 5 and standing rib roast, on deck at 6. Yummo!

skip.

[wes]

Skip - here's a link to USCG's hull number decoder. You can search for all manufacturer IDs ending in WS and see if any of them look likely. I see there is a code in there for homemade boats from the state of Wisconsin.

http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic1.aspx

Wes

[skip1930]

The information about this dinghy arrived yesterday.

Designed by F. Patrick Ahern
1 West Third Street
South Boston, MA. 02127

Titled 'Classic Yacht Tender'
The copy write plans 1973, 50 years ago.


skip.

[Bob23]

Ahern...interesting. That's a long time local name around here in the fishing and seafood wholesale and retail business. I wonder if any relation.
Bob23

[philb Junkie19]

Bought my first boat from a little shop in South Boston when I was 15.  It was an 8 ft sailing pram new, unpainted for $75, before mast, sail etc..  I don't know who designed the hull but someone really knew what they were doing. It was the most able little boat that took me to places (and back) no boat that size should have gone.

[waterwks4me]

Skip, love the lines of your little tender.  Over thirty years ago I bought a used hard dinghy for my trips to the Bahama's.  Never found out the manufacture of it but looks like a knock off of a Dyer dinghy.  With the exception of the crossing of the Gulf Stream, I towed that sucker everywhere.  When I sold the big boat I kept the dinghy and have had it ever since.  It's been storied under the deck for all these years.  One of my plans since I have retired is to restore it someday.  Would love to see your progress on her.

[cas206]

My winter project doesn't involve my CP16.  In fact, I picked up the CP16 two months ago in order to be able to get away from my winter project and get out on the water on occasion.