Canoe Update

Well, I spent about 9 hours on it yesterday and got four strips on the boat.  Part of that was I had a couple of areas where I had to secure the strips with clamps, and couldn't take the clamps off until the glue dried, thus couldn't add another strip for an hour or so.  However I did use some of that time productively, removing some of the blobs of hot glue from the outside of the strips nearer the gunwales, whose carpenters glue has long since dried.  That was an hour I *won't* need to spend on that work once I've put in the last strip.

The strips are still bending, but they don't twist nearly as much, which is making the work with the hot gun quicker.  Eight more strips, by my calculations, before I can cut the centerline.  I hope these will go a bit faster.  I *think* I am still on schedule but I am concerned about how long planking the second side of the football will take, because there the strips will need to be trimmed, one by one, to the correct length and angle to match the centerline, which will probably be a slow process.

( Seal-marked strips... )

I'm trying to keep up on the album front but with the amount of time I'm spending on the boat, it's kind of hard.  One trick I have been trying is listening to recording the computer playing new songs and arrangements I want to try to see if I can learn them as I work.  Also Peter sent me a melody that he thought needed lyrics about adventure and sailing ships.  It turned out to have lyrics about boatbuilding--I'm sure that was a big surprise :-)  We are still working on it but once Peter gives me the okay I will post it here.

I haven't quit practicing or anything but it has been kind of lick-and-a-promise practices.

Also I sure wish I had known about this Songwriter-In-Residence program while they were still taking applications.  I will check back next September and see if they are going to do it again next year, I guess.

Got to run.  Boat is calling me.