A lifetime ago, I shut down PocketShip production for a job that would take me away from everything I'd known for the last 10 years. Two years in Nigeria and two years in China later, with a year in Washington in between, and here we are, back in the garage!
I never knew when I'd be able to come back to it, if ever, except maybe if I found a job in Washington where I could drag the dregs of the boat from garage to garage and hope my work hours and neighbors allowed me to sand at all hours of the night. But thanks(?) to the COVID situation, where all training has moved online, I'm back in Minnesota at least through October and maybe longer.
When I moved the last time, I packed up most of my stuff and shipped it to storage. This included all of my shop gear: sanders, drill press, table saw, routers, clamps, miter saw, horses, etc, etc. I'm pretty much devoid of all. I can pull the stuff out of storage, but it'll take $300 and 3 months to get here, and that doesn't seem worth it. So what to do? Order more stuff, I guess.
I prioritized a new orbital sander and a shop vac. Then I got on the horn with Ed at CLC and asked what he recommended to finish the boat. Three days, 26 yards of 'glass, and a MAS epoxy kit later, I'm back in business. Interestingly, there was a little pamphlet with the MAS kit that said the little pumps were not available due to COVID. With supply chains disrupted they gave detailed instructions on how to pour into cups and mix them that way. That will not be fun.
I also dug up all sorts of memories: all the lines, the lovely portholes and anchor chocks, the electronics, tiller, boom gallows, and even stuff off the old MacGregor that didn't make it to the Sea Scouts. It was a trip down memory lane! I even found my old paint. Unopened, I'm sure they're OK. I think?
I then dusted off the hull from whatever's been on it. Still a little work to do here.
One place I didn't go was into the cabin itself. I'm afraid to look in there as I fear something's camped in the cabin before I could. But a little fear is good: it keeps people motivated to take care but keep going. And I plan to keep going as far as I can in the short time I have.
Sun Monkey rises again!
I never knew when I'd be able to come back to it, if ever, except maybe if I found a job in Washington where I could drag the dregs of the boat from garage to garage and hope my work hours and neighbors allowed me to sand at all hours of the night. But thanks(?) to the COVID situation, where all training has moved online, I'm back in Minnesota at least through October and maybe longer.
When I moved the last time, I packed up most of my stuff and shipped it to storage. This included all of my shop gear: sanders, drill press, table saw, routers, clamps, miter saw, horses, etc, etc. I'm pretty much devoid of all. I can pull the stuff out of storage, but it'll take $300 and 3 months to get here, and that doesn't seem worth it. So what to do? Order more stuff, I guess.
I prioritized a new orbital sander and a shop vac. Then I got on the horn with Ed at CLC and asked what he recommended to finish the boat. Three days, 26 yards of 'glass, and a MAS epoxy kit later, I'm back in business. Interestingly, there was a little pamphlet with the MAS kit that said the little pumps were not available due to COVID. With supply chains disrupted they gave detailed instructions on how to pour into cups and mix them that way. That will not be fun.
I also dug up all sorts of memories: all the lines, the lovely portholes and anchor chocks, the electronics, tiller, boom gallows, and even stuff off the old MacGregor that didn't make it to the Sea Scouts. It was a trip down memory lane! I even found my old paint. Unopened, I'm sure they're OK. I think?
I then dusted off the hull from whatever's been on it. Still a little work to do here.
One place I didn't go was into the cabin itself. I'm afraid to look in there as I fear something's camped in the cabin before I could. But a little fear is good: it keeps people motivated to take care but keep going. And I plan to keep going as far as I can in the short time I have.
Sun Monkey rises again!
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