Art Read
09-17-2002, 02:13 PM
While we were back east a couple weeks ago, and doing the "rounds" of the various North Shore boatyards, I poked around the lots at both Crocker's and Manchester Marine by the railroad tracks in Manchester. (A highly recomended past-time, by the way...) I found there a very sorrowful looking little knockabout that looked suspiously similar to my own Dark Harbor project. Perhaps a bit larger, and of an "odd" sort of cold molded construction, but still pretty close. She was obviously neglected, and had been poorly sheathed at some distant point, but she had some interesting hardware on her and I had to ask about her. Turns out she's an S & S design and was destined for the chainsaw sometime in the next few weeks. I asked about the possibility of salvaging the cast bronze rudder hardware as it looked perfect for my project. "No problem... I'm sure he'd be glad to have it go to good use!" I told him "Great!" and that I'd have my sister pick 'em up for me. Well, I called yesterday, (my first day back at the computer since I last spoke with him) and he told me that the rudder parts were waiting right there in a milk crate for me. (They'd sawed her up last Wed.) When I asked how much the owner wanted he asked me to hold on while he went and found 'em and asked the guy. Called me back a few minutes later only to have to tell me the idiots who cut it up must have thought he meant they were supposed to save the rudder itself. They did. It's all in one nice piece, still delaminating, leaning up on the wall next to my box of hardware. The gudgions, (which is what I wanted) were neatly sawed through just forward of the rudder post! :mad:
Ah, well... I asked him to save 'em for me anyway. They're a really elegant "elbowed" design and I suppose I could jury rig some new "strapping" onto 'em and use 'em for patterns with a foundry out here. Sound feasible? Wouldn't cost anything but the shipping and I sure haven't found anything else "stock" that would work.
Ah, well... I asked him to save 'em for me anyway. They're a really elegant "elbowed" design and I suppose I could jury rig some new "strapping" onto 'em and use 'em for patterns with a foundry out here. Sound feasible? Wouldn't cost anything but the shipping and I sure haven't found anything else "stock" that would work.