|
A Wondrous Weekend
The Lazy Weekend canoes are finished - and they lay like pieces of candy on the docks.
They looked so good, we decided to keep going. Over the last couple weeks, we acquired a Nuf - a 10ft canoe design that is used for the Family Boat Build at the Toledo Wooden Boat Show. It had been painted in primer, but not top coated. Now we have a Navy Blue Nuf.
I pied a couple walking the docks. I corralled them, gave them a tour of the Boathouse, then . . .
. . .more or less pressed them into a canoe. They had never canoed before and didn't really want to go canoeing that day, but I can be persuasive when there are canoes, PFDs, and people around.
We had a little extra time, so we set about doing some repairs. "Navajo Brand" canoe paddles, eh? They never struck me as canoe people.
More repairs. We had some canoe paddles that had never been finished. A few coats of Spar Varnish and they'll be put into use.
Our guests returned, triumphant and happy - they ended up having a great paddle, seeing osprey and heron and generally having a fantastic time.
We were going to participate in a brand new boat launching down at the Toledo Boat Yard, and fellow Coots "Sparking" Joe L and Charley came up from Springfield. Joe's boat is an electrified Fantail Launch of Selway-Fisher design.
Joe is a steamhead - even cast the parts to make his own steam engine - and he had this whistle with him.
Poor Joe, that whistle is designed to be powered by a boiler, not Joe's lungs. Still, he was game anytime someone would ask to hear what it sounded like. By the end of the day, Joe was puffing and huffing a bit.
Curt and I took one of the Lazy weekend canoes down to the Boat Yard to watch the festivities. The boat had never been in the water and was hanging in the sling launch. Poor Curt hadn't canoed with me very much, and I don't think he knew what I was about to do.
Kids, this is stupid. There is no reason - ever - to paddle under a boat that is hanging in the slings. It's probably dangerous.
Whoever owns the Excaliber has an excellent sense of color, don't you think?
This is a top view of the houseboat.
I got shanghaied into doing the blessing of the boat. We had a spirited discussion of which way North was.
Then, I had to make sure about what was going to happen with the booze: We weren't going to smash the bottle - that's just irresponsible - so: Did the gods get all the booze? Most of it? These are important details.
Rick said a few words . . .
. . . then I said the ceremony: "God of all waters and waters of all gods, please accept the Friendship into this of boats that sail upon the seas. North wind, East wind, South wind, West wind, please treat her kindly and look after her for all her days."
They they lowered her down tot he water for the first time.
Bud grabbed the Port's tug and maneuvered her to where she'll undergo the next phase of her build (the interior is unfinished.)
Curt and I conned Joe into giving us a tow back to the Boathouse.
As we approached the Boathouse, you can really get a sense of the lovely Welsfordian curves of Salt, one of out Mollyhawks. Best of luck to you and your floating Bed and Breakfast business, Rick! Thanks for letting us be a part of it. |
