Saturday, January 7, 2012

Mississippi River Skiff update: out of the shop

Yesterday we moved the skiff out of the shop onto a trailer with the help of the visiting students.  The trailer came with our 14 foot Rhodes Bantam.  The Bantam is on blocks so we could use the trailer.

The only problem is the length of the skiff.  At 18 feet 3 inches it extends way past the end of the trailer but more problematic is the wheels are too far forward.

Today we are going to set the skiff on the ground and reconfigure the trailer.
We can move the wheels back about 2 feet.  This should balance things out.

Today we are also going to instal the oarlocks.  We found a set of four at the Nautical Consignment shop in Oriental, NC.  They are old galvanized locks that are in great shape.  I was looking for bronze, but  of course this skiff historically was a working boat on inland rivers and would have been fitted out with the most practical cheapest hardware available, so galvanized it is!
Finishing out the interior, then hull priming and paint


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