Well winter is here once again. The 09 season was something of a wash given the huge amount of rain we received. Hope is once again tucked in the boat house , dry and toasty for the winter. This winter's project will be a new sail rig for her and some sculling notches in the rear transom. The water is not quite yet hard but certainly the river working on it.

Summer 09 taking it up

They call it taking it up. What happens is the wood dries out during the winter and you need to rehydrate it. Boats that are in the water all the time have no problem but trailer sailors need to address the issue. You can simply chuck a bucket of water in before you drive to the boat ramp and you are good to go. Its like a wooden barrel and needs to get soaked. Wooden boats are always sinking. Its just a question of how fast.

Winter Projects and Pics

Here is a nice Pic taken by a student at Hallmark school. We were out for a row and this student stopped us to take some pics. Winter is here and we will be bringing the spars in the shop to complete the sailing rig and get her a proper suit of sails.

No I just need to clean out the shop...

Winter arrives

One last row for the season and Hope must be put away. It turned out to be a great day for a final row of the season.

LARGE Row

Its not Big its Large. We plan to do a 20 mile row on the CT river late September along with the Batteau Black Sheep. We will camp at Munns Ferry and this is a picture of us scouting the site out. It was a nice day with a southwest wind at times. The river was rocking with a strong current , something that has been typical this year. Hopefully the rains will calm down for the Large Row...

Trim

On Barton's Cove , CT River.

"Hope" she Floats

Outta the shop and into the Drink

Lord I hope she don't sink.

Getting out

Of the Garage that is

Mast

Here is a mast I and getting out of a piece of spruce I have had about six years.
It will get a small square rig for down wind use. The race is on to get ready for the Big Row 08. 34 miles up Lake George for the 250th battle of Carllion.

Flipped and a Painted Lady

Five coats on the bottom and away we go.