Montana Boat Building Project

We have a name and color!

2008-03-31T15:17:00.001-07:00

The votes have been counted, the hanging chads have been examined and the delegates from Florida and Michigan have been included. Our boat will officially be named "Mending" and will be dark blue. Thanks to all that voted! And remember, if you didn't vote you can't gripe!

March 30th

2008-03-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

We got a ton of work done today! RC, Paul and Stephanie got the supports for the rod shelves firmly installed and they also planed the shelves to fit snugly up against the hull. Mark and John got the rod shelves sanded "baby butt smooth". Dale, with John's help on the table saw, worked on adding a reinforcing piece to the transom to better support the motor. We also got the pedestals in place for the fore and aft anglers' seats. It may not seem like much when you read this short paragraph but we made huge strides!

March 19th

2008-03-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

RC, Diane and John went to work coating the shelf frames and seat pedistals with epoxy. They are almost ready to install.

March 16th

2008-03-23T10:58:00.001-07:00

More work today on the shelves and seat parts. Paul and RC got the shelf supports completed and the fore and aft seat pedestals were finished up.

All level!

Paul and RC get down to business fitting out the shelf support system.

Will she float?

Mark keeping up with the housekeeping duties.

March 9th

2008-03-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Progress began today on the interior fitting of the shelves/rod holders. After a little bit of figuring and some additional guidance from Jason we were able to understand the support structure for the shelves and how to secure them to the interior. There are lots of angles to cut during this phase and thanks to our latest volunteer, Paul Thibideau, and his carpentry skill and boat building experience, we were able to get the process started.

More work went in to constructing the seat pedestals for the three seats too. We ran into some minor epoxy problems but nothing that we couldn't solve.

No pictures from today though...seems we were all too busy working to pose for the camera!

March 4th

2008-03-05T16:36:00.003-08:00

Diane and Dale met at the AFRH to put a little more epoxy over the fiberglass tape on the outside of the boat. They also put a coat of epoxy on some interior plywood pieces that will go in place later.

Dale's dogs, fresh from a visit to the vet, spent a few hours stalking a bird that had made its way into the shop.

March 2nd

2008-03-05T16:36:00.001-08:00

This week we continued to work on the outside seams of the boat. RC had done some great work on Wednesday to smooth everything out. We did a little bit more planing, sanding and filling of some remaining gaps and then it was on to the fiberglassing. All of the seams were taped and saturated with epoxy. This is the last structural step in bringing all of the individual pieces together. Hopefully no leaks!

Dale does a little planing...

Dave and Diane do some final sanding...

And the fiberglass tape goes on!

A new volunteer, Mark Snyder (on the right in the tan hat), and Ferris Butler work on the guide seat. John, John and Dale are on the left pretending that they understand how the thing goes together.

Norris (here with Dave) and his mechanical know-how got the trailer put together without a hitch...well, there is a hitch of course...I mean that he put it together without a problem.

March 1st

2008-03-05T16:35:00.002-08:00

Dale decided to take a look at the boat on a Saturday (ok...he was working on his own boat project too) and found some work that he could do to help move things along. Diane, always eager to get away from Walter Reed, showed up to help. Together they got the inside of the foam core bottom covered with Kevlar and fiberglass. With only a few bubbles!

Now we can move on to taping the outside pieces!

Again, no photos...but Diane did most of the work while Dale drank coffee and worked on his own kayak.

February 27th

2008-03-05T16:35:00.001-08:00

With the patched seams dry, RC and Norris went to work with the sanders to smooth the edges and round them over. Once everything gets sanded nice and even we will move on to putting the fiberglass tape over the outside seams.

Even though RC and Norris swear that they worked, there is no photographic evidence...I bet Norris supervised.

February 24th

2008-03-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

This Sunday brought out a lot of boat builders! The project this week was to get the outside seams of the boat filled with epoxy just like we did on the inside. Even Lieutenant Colonel Jones joined in on the fun. Matt Grimm and Stephanie Davison were there too along with the usual cast of characters (RC, Dale, Diane, Norris, Eivind)

Diane did some prep work on the edges before the epoxy started to fly.

The Jones duo hard at work!

Stephanie always seems to be having fun...even though she seems to have glued her right hand to the boat.

Matt was very meticulous about filling in every little gap.

"Flyfisher" magazine article!

2008-02-21T18:02:00.000-08:00

We're famous! Check out the article about our boat on page 22 in the winter edition of "Flyfisher" magazine. Let's hope our boat looks as good as one of Jason's finished products!

February 17th

2008-02-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

Another Sunday with lots to do! We were able to get a good start on putting the trailer together this week. Norris, Matt Grimm, Dave Rodgers (first timer!) from TU and George got the three boxes opened up and everything is almost together. There were only a few bolts left over and I have been told that we don't need to worry about that...yikes! Putting the thing together was far from intuitive and as Diane said, this is probably the only time that she has seen a man actually read directions.

George still can't figure out how the piano attaches...

As for the boat itself, some good progress was made on finishing all of the interior seams. Diane, Dale, Eivind and his friend Kevin (another first timer) worked quickly but carefully to get this step completed. First, all of the wires were cut...and the thing didn't spring apart so we took that as a good sign. Then a nice smooth bead of epoxy mixed with sawdust was pressed into each joint. Over that we laid down the fiberglass tape and coated it with unthickened epoxy. When we were done it looked pretty good and there were no bubbles in the tape! Hopefully, sanding this smooth won't be too much trouble.

It shouldn't leak now!!!

February 13th

2008-02-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

RC, Norris, Diane and Stephanie spent a couple of hours getting epoxy into all of the seams between the boat panels. After mixing up the epoxy with a good measure of sawdust, RC squeezed it into the gaps like a cake decorator. He put the goop in a plastic bag, trimmed the corner, and piped it into the seams.

Once it sets up, this added epoxy will hold the pieces together so that we can trim out the wire and go about reinforcing the seams with more epoxy and fiberglass.

February 10th

2008-02-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, as promised, this time we made it look something like a boat rather than a pile of lumber. The crew of RC, Eivind, Dale, Norris, John and Diane all pitched in with lots of muscle. After some drilling, bending, wiring, leveling and head scratching we got the five main pieces of the boat twisted into shape. Whew! It took a lot of tweeking and eyeballing but we got the skiff looking level and (somewhat) seaworth. Check it out!

At this point we all had our doubts...

But it started to come together with everyone doing their part to lift and twist.

Norris came up with some heavy copper wire that did the trick.

By the time we finished she looked pretty level!

And of course there were donuts!

February 6th

2008-02-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

We were back at the AFRH on Wednesday to continue the project. I had promised that, on this day, we would be making all of the pieces look like an actual boat. Well, my enthusiasm outpaced my planning. Do to a "tiny" lack of foresight, we were not able to start assembling the pieces. However, we did get the sanding done and touched up the epoxy on the bottom. NOW we are ready to put it all together...believe me?

But the highlight of the day was a visit by Cindy Ross and her kids Sierra and Bryce Gladfelter. Cindy spent the day talking with us and taking photos as she prepares to write two articles. One in "Wooden Boat" magazine and one for "Gray's Sporting Journal". And it was, curiously, at this point that everyone decided to clam up. After weeks of non-stop talking and laughing (particularly from Diane and Stephanie) everyone was suddenly polite, politically correct and kind to one another. Go figure. But with a little encouragement, Cindy was able to coax a story out of the group.

Now, back to the boat building! Sunday the 10th at 10am, as usual!

February 3rd

2008-02-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

Sanders hummed as all hands dove in for "Dust-Fest 2008". As great as all the nice shiny epoxied surfaces looked we needed to get everything nice and smooth for varnish and paint once the boat is assembled. Rob, a new face from Walter Reed, and Stephanie, a volunteer from Trout Unlimited, joined the usual crew of Diane, Stephanie, Norris, John, George, Ed, RC and Dale and they both wasted no time getting involved. Rob and Steph were the first ones to fire up the sanders and they didn't stop until the work was done.

The new "recruits" get down to business.

Ed sounds much taller on the phone...

As rare as a photo of the Loch Ness Monster, this image captures one of the most elusive creatures in the DC area...a WORKING Eivind, far from his natural sofa habitat.

Next up, assembly! We're making progress!

January 30th

2008-02-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

RC and a small group of folks spent a couple of hours putting the finishing touches on the epoxy work. Thin spots were covered and the last of the bare wood got a nice smooth coat. Now the dreaded phase of construction is set to begin. Sanding, sanding and a little bit more sanding...but it will be worth it!

Our boat in Wooden Boat Magazine and Gray's Sporting Journal!

2008-01-30T18:53:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday, February 6th at 10am we will be gathering once again to work on the boat project. We will have the privilege of having a writer from Wooden Boat Magazine and Gray's Sporting Journal visiting us to do stories on the project for both magazines.

We want maximum turnout from both wounded warriors and volunteers! This is a wonderful opportunity to get the Project Healing Waters message out so bring your friends, acquaintances, neighbors, loved ones, pets and anyone you can drag out on a cold February Wednesday. Enjoy the fun and share your personal story about your involvement in PHW and the boat project.

Get up, get out and get involved!

And now a word from our sponsors...

2008-01-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

As we progress through this project it is very important for us to acknowledge those people, organizations and companies that have made this effort possible. Without the material donations, physical space, financial support and all around good will of these people, none of what we are doing would be possible.

Special thanks to Jason Cajune and all of the folks at Montana Boatbuilders. Without your generous kit donation, patience and guidance we would never have been able to get this project started.

Thanks to Allied Veneer for supplying all of the plywood for the kit.

Thanks to System Three Resins for donating all of the epoxy and application materials necessary to hold all of the pieces together into something that floats.

Thanks to the staff and residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home for the donated space to do the construction. Without a warm, dry shop we would literally be out in the cold.

Thanks to Sawyer Oars for donating a beautiful set of 8 1/2 foot Sawyer Lights oars to help move us down the river.

Thanks to Joan Maxwell, President of Regulator Marine in Edenton, NC and to Yamaha Motors for the kind donation of a motor to help move us when the arms are too tired for the oars.

And thanks to Strosnider's Hardware for donating a boatload (forgive the pun) of hand and power tools as well as other comsumable supplies.

Please, make every effort to patronize these generous companies and organizations. They made huge contributions to the project and asked nothing in return. They are all true patriots for their efforts in supporting our wounded warriors.

January 27th

2008-01-30T18:20:00.000-08:00

Diane, Stephanie, Norris, RC, Dale, George and a new volunteer face, John Karlik, met on Sunday the 27th to spend some more time working on the PHW drift boat. The task was to get all of the epoxied fiberglass surfaces sanded smooth and ready for the final "flow coat" of epoxy. Sanders were going full blast and the dust was flying as all of the pieces were leveled out. Once smooth, a second coat of epoxy was rolled out in order to fill any defects and low spots. She's shaping up nicely and hopefully we will soon be able to start joining parts into something that looks like a boat!

The dust was flying as John and Stephanie worked like a well coordinated machine!

Diane got the hang of it...after taming the wild sander.

Stephanie struck her best "guy pose" during a coffee break...no one was fooled.

Norris is the man with the roller and can't be stopped when it's time to epoxy.

And it's time again to watch the pieces dry.

January 23rd

2008-01-25T14:31:00.001-08:00

Once again, RC and a small but dedicated group of builders turned out for more fun with adhesives. The task today was to get the pieces that we glued up on Monday sanded smooth, making the joints nearly invisible.

Once that was accomplished it was time to lay down more fiberglass. This time the outside surfaces of each side and both transoms received the fiberglass treatment. Now it's time to wait for it to dry. The next build day is Sunday January 27th at 10am. Be ready to sand!

Supervision is exhausting work...

January 21st

2008-01-23T16:35:00.000-08:00

Monday January 21st gave us another opportunity to gather at the Armed Forces Retirement Home for more boat building fun. The goal was to make several short pieces into a few long pieces.

Because the boat will be around 16 feet long and most of the wood comes in 8 foot lengths or less we needed to "scarf" together several joints. Each of the sides came in two pieces and, thanks to Jason at Montana Boatbuilders, they were already cut to match up perfectly. We got these pieces together along with several of the longer trim pieces that we will be using later.

While this may not seem very exciting we still managed to kill the better part of four hours sitting around telling stories and laughing.

Here, RC and I get everything lined up for gluing. Fortunately, Jason made sure that it doesn't take a rocket scientist...

As usual, we had lots of supervision...

RC and Diane "Air Force" wrestle with the clamps making sure that everything lines up correctly.

Did I mention the supervision?

Diane is clearly having more fun than should be allowed...maybe it was the fumes from the epoxy.

RC, Stephanie "The Handler" and Air Force make all of the final adjustments to the glued joints.

No, it ain't a boat yet but we are on our way...just as long as we didn't epoxy it to the floor.

Looks like fun, right? Well, what are you waiting for? Come on out and help (or supervise). Send me an email at dale_harman@yahoo.com and I will let you know when the next build day is.

January 16th

2008-01-21T17:27:00.000-08:00

RC Jones and a small contingent of wounded warriors took on the monumental task of laying down the Kevlar and fiberglass on the bottom of the boat on Wednesday the 16th. This may sound like an easy job but getting the bubbles out of the Kevlar and fiberglass once the epoxy is on can be a real challenge.

After 5 hours of work, much of which was spend waiting for the epoxy to "set up", they had a great looking result. This baby will be able to bounce off of rocks and logs without flinching.

Next we need to work on the sides and transoms. Once we get those in shape we can start making this thing look like a boat!

January 13th

2008-01-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

On Sunday January 13th we had 8 motivated people at the build site and we got everything set up. Work tables are assembled, tools are organized, a wooden work floor was laid down and we even got the fridge running to keep the beverages cold.

The first stage of the building has begun and the bottom section was assembled (see the attached photos). But there is lots more to do.

The next "for sure" work day will be this Monday January 21st beginning at about 1000. I will be there then and will probably stay until the work is done. RC Jones is trying to get a group together to do some epoxy and fiberlgass work on the Wednesday January 16th. Contact him directly and he can let you know what the plan is.

So if you have time and are interested please stop by to lend a hand or just say "hi" and shoot the breeze. We had fun last Sunday and the more people that show up each time the faster the work will go. We are not at a labor intensive stage and will be spending a lot of time watching the epoxy dry but the conversation is good.

If you need directions or have any questions just send me an email and I will fill you in on all of the details.

The Project Healing Waters Boat Build Has Begun!

2008-01-20T08:53:00.000-08:00

Walter Reed Veterans Build a Driftboat

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this exciting project!

The days have shortened, the leaves have turned and there is a definite hint of winter in the air. The kind of feeling that brings to mind numb fingers, 5mm neoprene waders and ice on the guides. This is weather best suited for time spent in front of a fireplace with a good book and your best dog at your feet. But at Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing we are hard at work. Just because the temperature has fallen doesn’t mean that there isn’t fun to be had. This winter we will be building a drift boat!

Thanks to the generous folks at Montana Boatbuilders, Inc, and their suppliers, including System Three Resins, we will be assembling a true western classic. Thanks also to Allied Veneer for donating wood materials. The Freestone Skiff, designed by Jason Cajune, is a 15’9” flat-bottom boat ideal for seated casting for 2 with a guide at the oars. With donated space at the Armed Forces Retirement Home we will begin assembly in early December and hope to have our completed boat ready for dedication in April.

Interested in helping? See contact info below to get the latest information on workdays and find out how you can be a part of this exciting effort. We welcome all wounded warriors, veterans, fly fishers, woodworkers or any individual who simply wants to lend their time and support. No experience with woodworking or tools is required. Just bring your enthusiasm for a great project!

To sign up to help, or for more information, contact:

Dale Harman, Project Manager, dale_harman@yahoo.com

R.C. Jones, Walter Reed Contact, (765) 341-8432, rcjones2120@yahoo.com