intheboatshed.net

Lisa’s name, carved by Norman Gaches.  As usual, click on the thumbnails for a much bigger photograph

Lisa’s flawless transom

Nick Smith has been in touch to report on progress building Lisa, a 17ft traditional West Country motor launch.

‘Lisa is looking almost complete, however there’s still lots to do.

‘The finishing off jobs are as important as the structural stuff, and I’m concentrating on the varnish work these days. The seats have been removed and varnished in a condition-controlled environment - that is, it’s heated, dust free and well lit. They now have deep gloss with no brush marks.

Sanders Sails of Lymington have built a super full cover. Whenever a customer or a doubting Thomas says to me the age old remark ‘oh but a wooden boat’s a maintenence nightmare’ I always reply that it isn’t true - just invest £500 in a good all-over cover, and every second you are not using the boat keep it covered.

‘This way the cover pays for itself in the first season, and the varnish work and paint work inside (apart maybe from the seats, which are small and easy to touch-up) need not be repainted for two or three seasons. The topside varnish may need a coat every year, but that’s a straightforward job, and the hull will need antifouling every year anyway.

‘It’s not rocket science - it’s common sense, I always say.

‘I should mention the name carving. I got world reknowned figurehead carver Norman Gaches over from the Isle of Wight to do it. He carved three “Lisas” and a “Yealm” in about an hour and a half, and it looks superb! It was all done by hand and eye, with no stencils.

‘That’s it for now Gav, more pictures after Christmas.’

Thanks Nick - it’s great to see her going together. I’m fascinated that Norman can create such nice, precise-looking work so quickly without stencils, and even more impressed that he dares to do it in a transom that’s already in place. Imagine the sinking feeling that would have followed if it had gone wrong - but of course, he did his job beautifully.

And a Merry Christmas to you Nick!

Nick has sent us quite a few photos of the Lisa project over the past few weeks.  If you’d like to see all our posts about his work, click here and scroll down the page. If you don’t already know him, Nick comes from Devon and specialises in new builds in clinker and carvel for  sail, motor and rowing power from 8ft to 28ft with a special emphasis on West Country style and design, and also takes on repairs and refits from 25ft to 50ft. He can be contacted by email at nick_smith_boatbuilder@yahoo.com and by phone on 07786 693370.

The Queen Transport monument in the churchyard at Mylor

The Ganges monument, also at Mylor

Again at Mylor, a monument to 31 people who lost their lives
in a pleasure boat accident

I think this is probably all about the Civil War

Small chapel on a headland overlooking the Helford River

Lush lichen growing on this church window shows how warm,
moist and clean is the air is down there!

See the first post on Cornish monuments here.

Easy to build - get free plans for the 15ft 7in flat-bottomed Julie skiff! Click here.

‘For some minutes Ben and I stared stupidly at the dark triangular dorsal fins of the sharks silently cleaving the unruffled surface of the sea.’

Two more chapters of Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey today: Chapter III Hungry Sharks and Chapter IV The “Old Man” Struggles With Algebra.

Why not print these out so you can read them at your leisure?

For the rest of this series of posts:
Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey - part 1

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey - part 2

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey - part 3

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey - part 4

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey - part 5