I'll show you some more real boat builders, I mean guys who don't use filler to make up for their inability to cut straight lines. Now don't get me wrong, the world needs guys like me who are really good at sanding cabosil or micro balloons to get a smooth finish and I do like paint but just look at this Lyman.
I am not capable of doing this. Jim Kelly spent years getting this old, really old 1954 lapstrake Lyman back in factory fresh condition. It probably started as a giant glob of guck and ended up looking like this. And if that's not bad enough, this is also a 1954 something or other motor that he did. The skis are probably that old also. I love the aft steering cockpit, whoever designed this one knew where the best riding place is.
I've talked about Richard Honan before. He builds everything and wins awards but I think his favorites are a fleet of these little Nutshells for his fleet of grand kids. When the water isn't frozen around Boston, he spends a lot of time with these guys. Don't you love the little one in the yellow hat. Yes, even the doggie has a life jacket on when required.
Richard's started rowing in an eight man shell so he figures that it's never to soon to get the young ones started. This is called a three man shell with furry coxswain. Helen and I just finished reading "Boys in the Boat" about the 1936 Olympic eight man crew. We still don't know how they get in the things or why they don't swamp.
He's going to kill me but I can't remember the builder of this one. He obviously does fantastic work and this isn't even his specialty. He really makes mahogany Chris Craft style speed boats using wood he came up with that's left over from WW2 PT boats. I'll show you some next time after he gives me some well deserved crap for forgetting his name and one man company.
Not paddle boards again; Simon came by to try one out and agrees that as a boat they leave a lot to be desired but as a tow behind play toy they're not too bad. Here he is holding the tow line but I think I like it being tied to the board itself better. You can just stand there safe and secure and watch the water go by.
Richard is finishing his up his board. Jean Marie likes the things and this gives him an excuse to hang with the guys at the man cave.
The Crystal River boat bums seem to be doing something with this old Acadia make and break engine that we gave them that Larry Page gave us. This is the motor that tried to break both of our hands so we thought one of their guys would know how to tame it, they did. I hope they put in come age appropriate 1905 boat. It is a marine engine, it has a transmission and everything.
This is a Model T roadster that Jeff came across. I don't know anyone who even knew that Ford made these but Jeff says they did. The underneath stuff and running gear is really primitive Ford engineering. If I was into the old car thing I'd definitely want one of these. When you get back from where ever you go in the summer we want you to drive it over to the shop to show us that it really runs.
Paradise from the water. Steve took this on the way in to work one day. Hey don't knock it, if you get up, get dressed and go to the same place every day, stay there till 5 and then come home it's called a job isn't it. What is actually done for those 8 hours or how much you make isn't really relevant. The top is covered with wood lath and I decided that I wanted a worry free living top so I've covered it with Spanish moss that seems to love it up there.
 |
This is a picture of Pelican Island National wildlife preserve over on the east coast near Sebastian Florida that I took at the end of the job. It was the first one, established in 1903, to protect the birds from plume hunters. Back when I worked with Lewis Environmental we got the job of stabilizing and preserving this island from further erosion. It had gone from about 15 acres to about 4 acres over the last hundred years, largely due to the dredging of the nearby Intra Coastal waterway and the resulting wakes from passing boats. This was an extremely challenging project due to its location with shallow water, sensitive sea grass and bird nesting schedules. We accomplished it with the use of boats, man power and a big helicopter dropping washed shell to form a natural barrier to hold in the sand. Robin Lewis is a genius at these kinds of jobs. Those are white pelicans you see at the bottom.
|
