Here is a photo of the two projects going on side by side. This early summer was mostly spent working on Ebbens 32' Ericson that he purchased for $1.00 five years ago. We had hoped to launch it this summer on lake Champlain but the work was slow and the summer sped by. We patched the 12 or so holes below the waterline and rebuilt much of the interior. The gas Atomic 4 is ready to pop back in after a major overhaul (see photos below). Early next spring we will paint the exterior, patch the deck, install the head and waste storage tank (still building that) and then get to the lake for some well deserved SAILING!
There is another doner boat (at low left in this photo). It is a 14' O'day Javelin - with a 6" hole in the bottom. Hopefully that hull will be done this spring, and kept locally to teach the kids about general boat handling. Then they can transition to the Ericson '32, and then if there is interest on their part.... onto Bluesette and as many sea miles as they have interest in. Maybe it won't be their "thing" but I would like nothing more in my life than to show them some distant corners of the world. Time will tell.... even the small boats will be so much fun with them.
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| Bluesette on the left - Oink on the right (formerly Windsong) |
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| Ebben and sister Bria starting Atomic 4 overhaul with friend Max |
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| Finally at the backbone |
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| This is block #2 (from Chapaquidick) after the first block was found to be too damaged. |
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| Same engine as above - Final wiring before start-up. Purrs like a kitten!! |
I would love to have had more time to work on Bluesette this summer. I did finish rebuilding the compressor and now have a full sand-blast set up which will be on-site for the remainder of the refitting - essential on a steel boat. As you can see from the photos below, the compressor was a major rebuild in itself.
