Saltys Ship

We need a boat, a Parade Boat, a Display Boat, an advertising gimmick to drag people in to the Hopland Pirate Faire once a month
a pirate ship so if we show up, there is Going to BE a bit of a Pirate Show even if nobody else shows up
a Pirate Ship just because it sounds like fun, might help sell the pirate shirts and bags and such,
should be fun
might even make money
ya never know

I was thinking paper mache, build a rebar armature and cover it with newprint and wheatpaste

after a couple weeks of yacking it back and forth,
Captain Johnson calls and says we got a boat !, the Tout Va Bien, a wood boat in our size range, built in the 50s, and price range, she's free for our purpose !
she's twenty and a half feet long, was built in England.
(with her own heritage and provenir that we shall document later)

We can save this cool old boat,
this is way better than paper mache ;)
we can give her another life !
All is Good !


11/20/08

this was a long, tough, nerve wracking and extremely satisfying day,

after driving down to the marina in Napa
(only ran into ice twice up in the hills)
Took us about 2 hours to get to this point, we attached the trailer to the duallie with a chain and lowered the trailer down the ramp til the boat would float on.
Wish I'd got pix, or got the audience to take pix, I think the odds were running 3 to 1 that we'd lose the whole kit and kaboddle into the drink ;)
LOL

That cabin door is just too cool

about 3 hours of taking down rigging and getting ready for transport
and we were on the road
it was a slow and somewhat nerve wracking drive home, the trailer was an unknown borrowed commodity, and even tho I inspected it and greased the bearings at the marina, I kept expecting a bearing to spin, or the backbone to buckle or some other calamity to strike,
But it was A-OK !

(We'll need to ask the Captain someday to recount his return adventure, it were a doozy ;)


11/21/08

Took half the day to get the keel off, that is one heavy chunk of cast iron.

end of the day, the light is leaving and we are just getting around to sliding it across onto the equipment trailer, what a pile of work, glad there was 2 of us.
Steve is gonna take the trailer back tomorrow with his old truck, so I gotta wire it for the trailer lights. (they didn't require such things in 1954)


11/24/08


cut 3 feet off the stern, ending up with 17 feet.
theres a little dry rot
but thats OK, all boats have some


11/29/08

cut the cockpit walls out for easier access

and moved it across to the For Sale trailer, it feels right, I think we found the pirate ship trailer,
it doesn't have brakes, but its a good old trailer, and its here, in inventory, use up stuff in the yard !


12/04/08

Started removing the bottom, piece by piece

spent a couple hours mixing and matching tire/wheel combinations, and now the trailer has white spokes with 205/65-15s from the Suzuki.
The Samurai, that trailer, the Model A, they all use the same bolt pattern.

the trailer needs at least one wheel bearing.
so I pulled the really bad one apart and did some number matching
turned out to be the same as the model A
the trailer uses Ford, 1928 - 1948 front wheel bearings, the seal is 1935-1948
Too Cool !

cut more of the hull away after this last pix and then it was too dark


12/05/08

got most of the bottom cut off today
and it feels good ;)

lightens the load,
enhances enthusiasm too


12/08/08
1-the trailer as it has been the last 15 years
2-the trailer as it is being modified again today

12/09/08

12/10/08
the trailer with the cross bracing welded in and ready to park under the ship for a final fitting

the ship set down and positioned on the trailer,
likely will lower the front another inch or so
the plan is to support it with a welded bracket at ever rib location of the ship,
most of which line up with the 4 inch channel that I welded in place yesterday
several of the ribs are rotten and will need to be sistered, likely with steel since I'll be doing it
figure to make it sturdy and safe, then hide the uglies with the outer trailer dock decking,
use the wheel fenders as dock steps
liberal application of rope and canvas between ship and dock should cover all
with most spans at ten inches and none over 14,
half inch plywood should be fine for ships flooring
I think there is enough clean mahogany for the cabin bulkhead
12/11/08
within a quarter inch or so, this is where she will spent the rest of her saling days
Cleaned it up some to weather the coming weeks of storms better

I might work a bit more on this pix,
it might be the good start of a coloring book page
01/15/09
welded in some locator straps to hold shape

this is just about the last of the removal process

splashed some paint, stapled in some flashing
every step forward is good :)

another few hours of light today
and I would be dragging this boat to its first Yard Sale tomorrow
alas, I ran out of light and energy
but the Next Sunny Weekend
we be Yard Saling Matey !!



01/31/09 Sunny Saturday Yard Sale


More about the Ship
the world collapsed in Feb.
the Hopland Flea called to say they won't be opening again this year, insurance was too outrageous.
and the parking lot where we were doing the Sunny Saturdays Sales fell to the economic crash.
This has all combined to rather take the wind from my sails, and progress has been somewhat slow since then.
Course direction has gone from a traditional GAOP mockup to a Steampunk version. This change allows for more freedom of expression and the ability to use up more stuff already on hand.


Garden Cat has Guard Duty


took a cannon shot to the bow,
no worries, the damage is above the waterline !

Saltys Pirate Den at Etsy


Saltys Pirate Den Shoppe ---- the Rustydragon Shoppe
Bags ---- Flags ---- other Rags ---- Bike Shirts ---- Saltys Ship ---- Hats
Blades ---- Bug ---- the Dock ---- Candles ---- katnip ---- Faires ---- Plunder & Loot

Saltys Pirate Den homepage ..................................... Kelseyville homepage