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

Monday 17 June 2019

Wooden oar making for a sailing dinghy 6

So, worrying about other things I sought respite in turning square loom oars into octagonal oar looms only to later discover at the end that I had actually shaved octagonal the area that had to remain square edged for the upper loom counterweights.

In addition, I had forgotten even after initially checking the plans twenty minutes earlier - that the loom taped from 46mm down to 38mm in diameter. Mine is now an octagonal 40mm diameter along the length!

I don't think people fully appreciate how much energy and effort goes into maintaining the high levels of incompetency and moronship that I achieve daily. In fact I have often felt people have just not sufficiently celebrated these particular talents of mine.

After all it takes a really unique ability to be really bloody stupid at everything!

I'm now going to find a quiet corner to cry in after which I guess I will go down the DIY store buy some strip pine and stick back on the edges I spent the afternoon taking off!

If only God had had the foresight to provide me with a brain..................................................................

4 comments:

John Welsford said...

You know Steve, that an "expert" is a beginner with experience, and you're gaining experience at a great rate. I'm sure that you used to tell your students that "mistakes are learning opportunities". I have a LOT of learning opportunities. Remember that before beating yourself up too much.

John Welsford

Graham A said...

None of us are immune to that problem especially when our minds are elsewhere. I used to absorb new info and instructions easily and relish new things but it takes a lot of thinking and planning to do anything much beyond washing up now!

steve said...

so many learning opportunities John, sooooo many!!

steve said...

Since I've stopped teaching Graham my ability to remember things has decreased significantly