Building a boat

Over the weekend, we spent some time at the lake with Mom and Row, and to pass the time, we built a boat. Or at least got a really good start at building it. There's still work left, but by the time I packed the boys into the car for the ride home, the boat had taken shape and really looked great.

We had gotten Row a boat kit a while back and he gathered all the rest of the materials so that we could get started right away on Saturday. That day was the hard part -- lots of prep work sanding and joining boards to make double-length pieces. We had 50 and 60 grit sandpaper and a circular sanding attachment for the drill, but it was slow going, and hard work. I'm still sore in the legs and back from bending over / squatting to work the sander. Next time, we'll use coarser paper!!

The boys 'helped' for a while, until they got bored. But they liked the sandpaper and the power tools. And they liked hanging out in the garage. When the real work started, though, I think they really didn't have much to do (I'm not going to let them use the drill, for instance...), so they hit the hot tub!

Sunday we got up and started putting the sides together and attaching the support rails / ribs that give the boat structure. Kenneth came in late Saturday night and he was a sure help in getting everything put together -- except for cutting into the side of the boat with a circular saw, of course! I saw it coming and couldn't stop him before it was too late... Oh, well, that's what patch work is for --

We're not done yet, though... Row is going to get the epoxy / sealant that will waterproof the boat and make it truly seaworthy. The plan is to have it ready to take out by Fathers' Day.