Friday, August 29, 2014

Poster on Proa Roots

I saw this large poster in Hanalei, Kauai.  It shows a few proa-like designs and has a map of migration and trading routes.





Wednesday, August 27, 2014

After an Absence, A New Clamping System

This Spring and Summer, I spent quite a bit of time refitting our large boat and then I spent some time out on the ocean.  I'm back at work now.

The first order of business was to build a new set of clamps to handle the aka layups.  Russell and others had lent me "just about every clamp in the neighborhood".  The problem is that active builders need clamps back sooner than later.  The akas  need about thirty six clamps and when you multiply that by the price of a Bessey or Jorgensen clamp it begins to hurt.



I decided to make a set of clamps using cheap pine, allthread and wing-nuts.  These clamps are not as versatile, but they will do the job and cost less than three of those store bought types.


Recently, I took a friend by the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building  where I saw some nice long reach clamps.  Maybe some say I'll have time to make some of these.





Task time: 6 hours
Total project time: 238 hours