Painted Boat

Visited the boat to-day looking great the lads had it painted navy on the bottom and a bright yellow on the top it really brings the boat to life. The boat has been stained on the inside and the seats have also been put in, some amount of work has been done since we last visited I think it's amazing really .....They got a bit of an extension on the deadline and this has been very welcomed indeed... even though the lads have loads done it just doesn't feel they have to get out of the shed as hastily. They have the mast and boom made also... this took a lot of working to get the shape.The navy paint is yacht paint it is suppose to stop sea plants and life sticking to the bottom of the boat. The yellow paint is gloss... I can only imagine how lovely the boat will look like in the water..especially on a sunny day.

Mast

Inside of boat varnished with seats

Boom

Field Trip to Lovely Costa Del Kilmore (Wexford)!

Last week we had a field trip to Costa Del Kilmore Quay (not too far to travel!) which was very enjoyable.... it was a working holiday.... a bit strange. We landed from our normal routines in life to be with our fellow students more or less 24/7...... The goal was to make art from what we gathered experienced in Kilmore ( a work in progress).  Kilmore is less than 20km from Wexford Town, but it felt like a different world we had entered... I had never been to Kilmore but I was well impressed by all the activity going on, it is a working villiage with fishing as the main activity...

One thing I noticed and we were in it quite a bit was the Stella Maris Community Centre, a brilliant facility and really blows away what country community centres can be. It is modern with a lovely cafe facility and the staff were so friendly and helpful. So a credit to the community...

The fish and chips are pretty good too in the local chipper! will definitely return I would imagine the Summer months would be lovely, a nice time of the year with bright long evenings to walk the beach...

The unfortunate thing I was unable to visit the lads building the boat last week and this week I have been sick, so don't know how it is progressing the finish date for the lads is to-morrow 20th in order to facilitate another project for some Youths in the area. So unsure of what is happening next or what has been happening. Missed my opportunity to paint..... anyways will update you as soon as I get back on track......

Caulking the Boat

Well I must say I really enjoyed this afternoon we went to the shed the time just flew in. The lads had made the casing for the inside of the boat and they had fitted it at some speed since yesterday afternoon. The boat was turned back over and the excess wood had to be trimmed off. This was done really fast... then it came to putting the hemp into the grooves (which is called caulking) with a handmade tool to push the hemp in. Then the pitch was heated and then poured into the grooves using another homemade item a jug from a tin can. Very resourceful indeed....taking recycling to another level! Then an iron was used to melt the tar. I was surprised how fast the tar set. As I mentioned yesterday this has to be done properly because it can rot over time. The hemp and the wood both expand in the water.

Once again we had a very patient teacher and all the lads explain everything to us. The boat is amazing in the sense it's a great piece of engineering I think it's marvellous how the wood will expand in the water and this will further seal the boat. Usually you only think of keeping wood dry especially in a house. So here I'm seeing the opposite of how it floats and expands when wet, it's really funny.. you never think of these things. The lads are so hard working and take such pride in the work they are doing... It really shows in the boat the care taken to make it and everything is really thought out carefully. This boat will last a long time if maintained properly. A little video documenting to-day!

Second day this week!

Visited the boat again to-day it was turned back up because it was creosoted this can be very runny so the boat was turned up so it wouldn't run on the inside and stain the interior. We had a chat with the lads and I might have got myself a job, painting the inside of the boat. This is a little harder than the outside because you have to be neater. I'm quite neat when painting, as I do all the painting walls at home, cutting in etc. this will be no problem. To-morrow the caulking is taking place this is very important obviously because it seals the bottom of the boat and it has to be done properly otherwise it can rot. Hemp is pushed into the grooves and pitch tar is ironed in. So looking forward to seeing that being done.

Boat Turned Over

With assessments to-day we were running a little late getting to the boat. When we arrived it was turned over so the excess wood was being taken off with a chisel. The lads seem to be under more pressure now to get the boat finished in a few weeks time and there is less time now to even chat. We are still observing and documenting. This Thursday the boat will be sanded and cleaned up. Friday the boat will be caulked at  the bottom.

Chiseling the excess wood from the bottom of boat

Wash Board Larch Plank being shaped

The lads were to visit the college on Friday to see our blogs but unfortunately they couldn't make it, they were working on making the washboard. They made an apparatus in order to bend the larch as they want it round rather than  v shaped as this will allow more room in the boat. So they are very focused in getting the job at hand done, they are modifying the design as they go along in order to make a better boat.

I'm still a little confused about what my role is within this project. We only see one side, the lads making the boat and not how it fits in with the whole of the community, maybe in a few weeks time I will get to see and understand the bigger picture. It's different from what I expected ..... but I would like to understand more ..... fitting all our tasks in is difficult juggling our assignments. Each week we visit the boat and haven't really got to speak to the coordinators about community development within the area.  So onwards and upwards ....