September Update

Hi all!

It’s been a very busy period here in Sequim, and it’s been quite a while since I have written an update for you guys.

The second frame-raising went really well, with a fantastic group of volunteers. As could be expected, though, it was stressful at times to be managing -and living with- so many people for 5 weeks! The lead-up and preparation for this period, along with the frame-raising itself, left me with barely any time to sit back and assess the bigger picture.

Since the frame-raising finished a week or so ago, I managed to take a few days off work, which was great! After a day at the Wooden Boat Festival in PT (where I met a few of you!), I threw a mattress in the back of my trusty truck and took off into the mountains for a couple of nights. Having hiked some long trails through the rainforest and along rocky ridges, I have just now returned to the workshop feeling rejuvenated and ready to start the next phase of the rebuild.  

The next few weeks are going to involve some lofting and planning and thinking, and so I am happy to be working here on my own for a little while. There is also going to be quite a bit of time spent sourcing the next batches of timber - this has been one of the hardest aspects of the project, and really makes it apparent to me the advantages of having a large shipyard where you can store (and afford) big loads of timber, which can air-dry properly and be used on future projects.

At the moment I am looking for deck-beam and deck-planking stock. I need deck-beam stock because I will probably be building the deck structure before the hull-planking stock is dry enough to start actually planking. And I need to get deck-plank stock soon because when the deck is laid the timber should be extremely dry, so that it can take up properly and reduce deck leaks. 

Tally Ho’s deck-beams were originally English Oak. The most similar available timber would be Gary Oak from Oregon, but that would have to be installed green (high moisture content), which will mean it will warp a bit and the joints will open up. The other good option would be to use a mix of Western Red Cedar for the majority of the beams and Purpleheart (or similar) for a few more structurally-important beams. This would be advantageous because these timbers are more stable when drying out, and also because Cedar weighs less - which would help improve the stability of the vessel, especially considering I have used heavy Live Oak for the frames. 

For the deck planks, Teak is by far the best timber, and should be used if at all possible. I will be looking into if I can source Teak for the deck planks at a price that I can afford and from a supplier that supports sustainable forestry. This will be a big challenge, on both counts!

I just want to extend my deepest thanks to all of you for supporting this project so generously. It really means the world to me, and it makes this rebuild possible. It has also meant that I have been able to avoid having a lot of adverts, corporate sponsorships, or paid partnerships in my videos. As the channel has grown there has been more and more offers of this sort of thing - but I feel that the appeal of my videos comes largely from the fact that they are honest and unadulterated by third-parties. Thanks to you guys I have been able to stick to that format, and intend to do so and stay independent for as long as possible! Your support also means I have been able to keep all my content completely free, without any paywalls of any kind - which hopefully means that it can reach (and maybe even inspire) more people from more walks of life and backgrounds. 

Thank you.

Leo