Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

building things....

I like building wooden things. I'm rubbish at measuring, can't cut a straight line even with table and band saw; things never quite seem to go as planned. I'm not Mr.  Bodge Job but sadly neither am I Mr Professional so it looks workmanlike.

It just never quite turns out as accurate as I planned. My poor dad and him an engineer too!

Anyway I have been cutting new sleeping boards as per Joel Bergen plans. The top sides have been cut; uprights just have to be measured and dry fitted but rain has stopped play, probably up until May next year!! I think we skipped autumn somewhere.

So, a side project - the galley box. Facebook followers will have seen my trials and tribulations on that social media site. Anyway, we are now at the building phase......watch this space!

So, measure out components; check measurements twice; sit down have cuppa. Go back, check all measurements again; discover mistakes - have another cuppa. Go back make corrections - have a cuppa. Do one final check - discover original measurements were indeed right first time. Make alterations - have a cuppa. Check twice more and then finally make the cuts...........only to discover that your first assumption that you had made mistakes was indeed actually the correct observation and you shouldn't have re-corrected the corrections you made.

It is going to be a longggg October!

side tops for new sleeping platforms awaiting their bottoms so to speak

what's in my head.....isn't necessarily what is going to turn out in a few weeks time

CAD version (cardboard aided design) version 3
The left hand side will have a set of pull out draws

Even with precise measuring tools - well its me - there is no guarantee what  measure will actually be accurate..........happens every time.........measure 20cm.......it turns out 19 instead.........its a gift..........I have no idea how it happens.......but I am sooooo talented at it.....!!
Measured inaccuracy.....its a real skill!





4 comments:

Rik said...

Funny post. Two suggestions:
1. measure diagonals also. Sure fire way to get it right.
2. take pics of the cuppa... ;)

steve said...

Thanks Rik. Measuring diagonals - hahaha - funny man - I can barely cope with the right angle measurements............

Stuart said...

Been there, still there. There's something of the devil about measuring and cutting. Get the measurements right and I'm sure to cut badly; get the measurements wrong and my cuts are perfect. I think it's called Resistentialism ("les Choses sont contre nous").At least we can get plenty of kindling.
Keep going!
Stuart

steve said...

actually really enjoying the challenge - my brain needs exercising since retiring. But you summed up the situation perfectly Stuart - so recognise that