It’s been a while since our last post, and while summer is a bit of a slow time at the boat shed, we’ve made a fair bit of progress on the Providence River Boat.
After fastening the final planks, the following week we took the hull out of the shed onto the dock, and flipped it right-side-up. We then got it set up on the strong-back, to get ready for the next steps. Steaming the white oak frames into the hull went well, and once they cooled down in their new shape, they got oiled and put aside for later.
We then shaped the floor timbers, which was a fascinating, finicky process, fitting the boards to the shape of the planking (making sure to leave limber holes for water to drain along in the bilge). Once they were shaped, we fastened a pair of frames to each of the floors, and then attached them to the keel.
Next up was rivetting all the frames in place, through the planking. We’ve finished riveting every 2nd set of frames, which are attached to the floors, and have started to complete the rest of the ‘in between’ frames. It’s looking more and more like a boat every week!
Meanwhile, a few events which happened during the summer:
Gathering some wood in anticipation of the next boat, at Brittania Heritage Shipyard. They had a surplus of wood, and offered it to us at an attractive price. A bunch of us went down to sort through their stacks, and came away with a bunch of potential planking stock. While there, we gained some inspiration for a possible next project – a traditional west coast fishing boat.
We had several of our boats on display at the Brittania during the Richmond Maritime Festival, and a couple of our members spent some time there answering questions.
Our boats were also at the Granville Island Wooden Boat Festival, but we were woefully understaffed, due in part to the number of people away on holiday. Hopefully next year will work out better, especially since the festival organizer is keen to revive the dinghy races which OLAS ran for a number of years!
And, a brand new event in its first year: the Heritage Harbour Classic, a fun and informal race amongst some of the boats berthed in our harbour. The cold and rainy weather didn’t do much to dampen the enthusiasm, and 5 boats took part, including some of our members in their boats. Afterward, the dock was busy with a BBQ and socializing. This promises to be a great event next year, with the runners-up thinking of how to improve on this year’s results, to get their hands on the coveted trophy!
Now as we get into fall and winter, our floating boat shed will become a cozy place to spend a few hours every Saturday! Come down between 10am and 1 or 2pm to see what we’re up to – we enjoy introducing people to our craft!
Oarlock and Sail Wooden Boat Club 