Wisdom

 It used to be, back in ancient times, that the tribal elders possessed wisdom and were respected and were sought for advice on all matters. Now that I have reached a certain age, I feel that I have something to contribute to the knowledge of man. When the young ones need input on matters, they consult their version of wisdom: the internet. Yewtewb videos that start with the phrase "Hey Billy, you got the camera on? Lemme set my beer down.  Watch this." My attempts to advise are dismissed and ignored, just like I did with my elders. The human race is doomed, but at least documented.  I sprinkle crumbs of my wisdom here so that my two semi-faithful followers have another idiot to ignore and sweep those crumbs into the waste basket. That's where they belong, lest I become full of myself and forget what I really am full of.

We enter the many piddly details phase of the build. Lots of small stuff and projects to complete. It's important to keep doing something, anything, whether it seems important or not. Tax money coming back will give a bit of a bump to the bank account. We need metals for masts and wind vane mounts and solar panel mounts and pod top supports and...............more money, sigh.

That split on the end of the deck beam? It's the third time that Ben has repaired it......sigh.

Sometimes you think that you just want to.......................................

And then the hatch corner splits where I screwed in the aluminum around the edge.........sigh.

So Ben expanded the split so we could work epoxy into it.........sigh.........again........

We had rain coming in so we put the hatches back on. Or, rather, I thought Ben put them back on and he thought that I had put them back on........................sigh. We vacuumed the water out. 

I continued working on the electrical panel holders for the central cabins. Doors that swing out and latch. Budge needs these as the central distribution point for each hull. 

Budge mulled over the electrical system. It's basically a dendritic concept with isolation capabilities. Well thought out, well expensed...............sigh.

Ben filleted the battery box and the weather was nice so......................

The bugs landed in the wet fillets..................................sigh.....

Budge installed wire duct along each hull to contain the wires for the electrical system. What? You can't see anything? He's working, don't bother him.

Now, you remember, the holes in the motor boxes and support pieces? they were the wrong size? We had to glue in the plugs we cut out back in a couple times? Then we had to buy a hole saw of the correct size? Then the arbor was broken and we had to buy a new arbor?......sigh. We re-drilled the eight holes in the motor boxes.

Some holes had to be drilled half way then broken out so the hole saw wouldn't bottom out and drilled the rest of  the way. All in all, it went positively OK.

The holes..............

Then we put the starbord motor box into position. Wait a minute, it's backwards..........sigh. Turn it around..

Ahhhh that's better.,

Ben's deck jig, to see where the height of the motor boxes should be. Much consternation, discussion, and cogitation.

Like this.

Line 'er up. Drill holes. Insert 1" bolts.

Position the other one.

The most important thing about working with epoxy is to mix the correct amount and use every bit of it. I had to glue in these 4 block in the hatch comings to attach the springs that support the open hatch. I mixed two tablespoons worth of epoxy and glued the four blocks in and Ben used the remnants to fill the hatch crack.

Scraping the mixing shot glass to the bottom we had........

Only this little dab on the putty knife as scrap. I glued the battery box together using leftover epoxy from Budge's glue ups (see Budge's web site). Every day we do something.............that's good...................someday we'll be done.....................sigh.

The Music♫: Caravan Palace "Lone Digger"

More of Ben's selections. I have been listening to them this week.