Blake Boatworks Boat Building in Gloucester, North Carolina - Design, Construction, Repair, Restoration, Boat Plans

Blake Boatworks

P.O. Box 91 Gloucester, North Carolina (252) 729-8021 blake@blakeboatworks.com

Home How To Boat Plans Boats WebWatch

WebWatch
Weekly Update

Me llamo Ribberto

Notes from the Field - "Cherokee" Huckins Restoration Project
May 17, 2002 The spring peepers have had to crank their volume to be heard over all the sanding and sawing at the Cherokee site. While new-kid-on-the boat Kerry sands the profile around the side windows (below), the paint crew has spray painted both sides of the hull with Awl Quick and sanded it in anticipation of the final prime before the top-coat.

Kerry Sanding the Profile

Spray Painting, Bud Indexing with the Purple Stuff

Much headway has been made on Cherokee's hardtop, as the corners have been cut, curved, and trued-up for fiberglassing. A layer of Kevlar and a layer of fiberglass have been applied to the top. Next the hard top will be turned over so the underside can be fiberglassed. Let the epoxy flow!

Curved Corners, Fiberglassed and Kevlared Hard Top

Blue-Glove Team at the Epoxy Station

An aluminum framework, fabricated by Hancock and Grandsons of Harkers Island Road, has been installed in the engine room. The framework provides a structure for the cockpit deck, as well as guttering for the hatches. This framework will hold four hatches, one over each engine, one over the generator, and one personnel hatch. The hatches are all supported by the framework. The center section of this framework can be unbolted and all hatches removed in case re-powering is necessary. This will make maintenance easier too.

Cockpit Framework, Center Section Detail

Electrician magician Steve is depicted below holding the soon-to-be installed electrical panel. Beneath his left hand is the air conditioner air-handler. Forward is the shore power chord reel. Note that the interior walls of the pilot house are now white. The next coat here will be top-coat.

Steve and the Electrical Panel

Interior trimwork hums along, with Tom Parker custom-making and fitting each piece. Jeanette has been repairing the old drawers that will be re-used. She's put new bottoms in them, and is putting new mahogany faces on the ones that are damaged.

How long has Casey been sleeping in that puddle of glue?

Tom and Bryan Discussing Trim, Sink and Faucet

Trimwork in Master Stateroom, Jeanette's Drawer Work
Fish Doc wandered into "Summer Song Gardens" in Marshallberg the other day, a lushly landscaped property created by Yvonne Pupatti, who lives there with her Italian-born husband Nino. A few years ago she began selling unusual plants, and now her display has blossomed into a meandering maze of paths shaded by magnolias and pines, bordered by Dr. Seuss looking plants with names I can't remember. "These varieties are hard to find in this county," Yvonne said, leaning on a shovel. "All the smaller nurseries have shut down, and Walmart and Lowes only sell the mass-marketed big sellers. So hundreds of thousands of people landscape with the same few plants." Yvonne puts in long, hard hours in her quest for species diversity - especially to keep some of the native briars and vines at bay like the thorny Smilax. "This isn't work," she emphasized. "It's a passion." And one of her varieties happens to be the titilating passion flower. Signing off for now, Barbara "Fish Doctor" Blake
That's All, Folks!

Previous Updates: Blake Boatworks Archive Page
Find Out More About The Huckins: WebBoats