FROM Village Girl

Ugly Bob

About 3 years ago Megan started building a Welsford Houdini dinghy in Nome. For reasons related to the level of profanity during his early gestation and construction, he became male and was named Ugly Bob. Life, the Universe and Everything intervened and he sat in a shed until a week or so ago when we drug him out and I started to apply acres of fibreglass. Yesterday, Pat and I built a mast. It is square section, made from old growth red cedar planks that were probably part of a tree when the Bering Strait was still a land bridge and Yetis abounded. Red cedar is light and flexible but soft so needs care in use. The section is designed to keep its tensile strength and it will support my weight in the middle when propped at each end. I think it will weigh less than the aluminium tube in the plan. We will rout the edges tomorrow and taper the top and Bobsyer. Maybe! It is intended to be self supporting but we will allow for runners just in case things get a bit pearshaped. Brian Shilland made the sail 3 years ago and the goal is to circumnavigate Sledge Island before I leave for Oz. Ambitious, I think but hey!



Comments are closed.