Team

A little update on progress on Day 2 but first, I've looked in and and been put on hold two yaks, but got food and drink on a third for my critical assessment and corrective work. It was tough, but the cajon chicken and mushroom and wild rice, and the bottle of vino helped me get my strength back. It was tough, really...

On the Nick's Night Heron progress with Dave. Today we discovered that we really screwed up Big Time and only bought 3 sheets of okoume versus 4. Damn! How did we so badly screw up? Well, how the hell should I know?
So....Dave and I jumped in the trick, headed east and bought the glass and carbon fiber ($230 worth), then headed west though the typical Insane Diego trtaffic to Forst's to pick another sheet of ply up. We were wondering how a big sheet was going to fit into the 4Runner when there in front of us 9n the parking lot was Bill Todd aka Wild Bill the Viking Man. For those of you not familiar with this legend, Wild Bill is a guy who paddles like the wind, ROWS his Cal 28 sailboat forom the marina out over the bar and out into the ocean 3-5 miles before turning around and ROWING it back. Wild Bill is 70 years old, a survivor of lymphoma and the strongest paddler I have ever met. He's the most level headed and calm guy in the face of danger I have ever met. Any way, Wild Bill sized up the situation, loaded the ply into his van and off we went to Dave's for a big lunch and a drink.
Real work involved cutting the okoume into pieces ready to scarf and glue up, assemble the work table (which I might add I designed). We also had a few minutes to chat with Nick to order a second set of master plans in order to tear up marking out the patterns to cut out of the joined okoume. Nick had to point out his thoughts of carbon fiber (jeeez, what is this with the carbon fiber bashing?). Still, the goal is a Night Heron under 35 pounds and we'll make it, too!

Some serious thoughts about licensing and the guy who designs kayaks: designers don't make a whole lot of money for the wonderful creations that they craft. Anyone who buys plans is buying the plans for ONE kayak. Building a second one first requires buying a license to build a second one. These guys have slaved over thse designs and morally deserve financial compensation. There, I had my say.

Anyhow, we cut and readied verying for tomorrows finishing of the scarfing, glue up, and cutting out the nifty components that Nick designed dor the kayak. If anyone ever wants to see some of the most complete and well deisgned plans arund, tale a look at Nick's. They are so impressive that I have to again make a big deal about them.

Finally, a word about the work bench (which Dave laid on the center span to watch the World Series without causing any deflection. E-mail me and I'll send you the design free. Give me a week since I haven't put it in a digital format yet. It works well and is cheap to build a flat surface to work on or support a strong back.

till tomorrow, adios for now