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Another GREAT weekend
Friday started off with Connie bringing Patience and Sebastian in for another session on the cardboard boats. They needed three for their plans of fielding a small armada in the races.
Each boat gets a minimum of 2 coats of paint. It all takes time and logistics.
Latex paint takes a while to dry, it helps to get 'em out in the sun to cure 'em.
I'm trying to encourage competence and confidence. It's hard not to tell them where the tools are - I just tell them they are in the room and they need to find them.
Third boat: I've told them how to cut it and showed them. I've cut it and showed them how. Now it's time for them. Here's the safety lesson: This is a razor knife, what can you tell me about razors? What do you think that means to you?
It's hard not to tell them what to do every step of the way - especially for Connie, she just wants to help. Learning is hard, teaching can be harder.
Patience on the splining tool. Making long, smooth lines is a skill.
We decided to try painting the insides before gluing this time.
Break time - some how the Tik-Tak Kayak has become a multi-person boat rather than a solo boat as intended.
Paddling and swimming - summer in Toledo is a magical thing.
We tried a little recovery testing. Turns out the best option is to not go turtle in the first place.
While the kids were experiencing the slough Curt and I finished gluing the last cardboard boat together.
This third one will be green - the kids are getting MUCH better at painting.
This is our cardboard canoe design - I'm not particularly proud of it so I'm not posting the design. Last week, Bob Larkin installed stiffeners along the bottom, which will help quite a bit. Another coat of paint and she's ready for the races.
Almost at the end of the evening, we had a visitor: Greg, a trucker who was delivering a load to the mill. He had a little down time, so . . .
. . . I had Sebastian and Patience take him on a tour. They all had a blast.
Before we closed up for the day, we had more visitors. You can see the mother holding the PFD I tried to foist on the little girl - I told the mother I had an infant PFD as well.
Next morning, Patience and Sebastian were there when I opened the doors - and Anthony was back, too. This shot shows them shaking up the paint - minimum of 60 seconds, pass it off when you get tired.
We sealed the seams with mastic and drywall tape, and the third boat got it's second coat of paint.
Details details details.
While Patience and Anthony were doing the big work,. Anthony was doing the fine work - decorations count.
Time for a break - OK, this is getting silly. 3 kids in a Tik-Tak? Maybe I need to design a 12' version - the stability is really an attractive attribute.
It worked!
While I, personally, think the canoe will work just fine, it will be used in a race between the Toledo Port manager and the Port manager from Newport. Concerns were expressed, so we added some thwarts for peace of mind. We used string run through the sides and through the tube to pull the sides together.
Cardboard boats were done, so I had the kids decorate a 'Nuf we will offer for sale at the silent auction.
How did I not get a final picture of the finished product?
There they are - Sebastian, Patience, and Anthony - thanks, guys!
We had a little bit of time left, so Curt and I rigged up the Junk and splashed her. Very little wind, but she worked!
A little friggin with the rigging while underway. And we mounted the rudder backwards - I'll correct that next week.
Pass and Review behind the Teak Ladies
You've NEVER seen one of those before.
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