Leaf Blowers and Entropy

The other day, the gardeners were in our neighbors back yard and blowing away at the leaves.  As they usually do, they try to corral the leaves in one corner of the yard where they can then scoop them up and haul them off somewhere.  Unfortunately, when they blow them up against the fence that separates them from our yard, a good deal of...

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The Adirondack Guide Boat too much technology

Plans of the Adirondack guide boat from the Mystic Seaport Museum which sells them for $75.Lines of the Adirondack Guide Boat from the Mystic Seaport MuseumDescription of the Adirondack Guide Boat  from the Mystic Seaport Museum site:Guideboats are bottom-board boats with natural knees used as frames: the dory-building technique taken to the extreme....

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More Control

Remember when I fitted a new CH boiler and heat exchanger??  No? Here is the blogThe whole system worked really well in fact the heat exchanger worked so well it set up a thermo siphon with the engine water jacket.  The Hurricane was so powerful it eventually produced enough heat to get the 450kg engine block up to 40c in an un-insulated...

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Clever Internet Google Streets

A few days ago it was mentioned that how would my boat look on the water.  Well as mine is a bit away from that yet, I thought Id google the last location of the sister boat that I knew of.Sure enough it was there. The main difference with this boat is its 70 not 60 like mine.  He also has skylights and a side hatch.  Otherwise its pretty...

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From Classic Boats to Exquisite Birds

Katz restored Cobra Bird enjoying the Lake Dora ShowShow season is seriously underway. Two days to Tavares, Florida, three days of show and two days home. When we get home, it turns out, we really werent gone for very long. But, the whirlwind of travel, of seeing faces that we know well, but only from this distant show, of seeing faces that...

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Hang on a Minute I Gotta Drain It

There comes a time when the pressure builds and you just gotta do something that you have put off too long....like putting drain plugs in a boat. The thought of drilling big holes in the transom scared the heck out of me, but I couldnt put it off any longer. After contemplating and procrastinating, I reviewed the cross-section of the transom to determine...

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Doors Wires

I have now varnished and hung the internal doors.  In truth I did the hanging but had a proper carpenter come in and fit the furniture and locks and shoot the doors in.  And by hang I mean fitting the frames with the doors pre-hung. Remember I dont do wood. I also got the glass today which needed to be toughened in line with UK building safety...

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Solar Powered

Now the roof has been painted I was able to fit the solar panels.  That was this weeks mid week visit to the boat.Having made and fitted the mounting brackets it was time to wire up and screw them to the roof.  I had already laid in the wires in the ceiling void so this made the job a bite easier.  What made it difficult was the almost...

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A frame goes up and an auspicious arthropod goes down

Frame 5 is the first to go up!Floor 5 was situated about a quarter of an inch too far aft. One solution (and probably the proper solution) would be to replace the floor. I just shaved a quarter inch off of the timber real quick with a Skillsaw and chisel. Ramon was my hero in making it plumb with the plane when I got too frustrated to continue.Treating...

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Lets Build A Rudder

There is a sister boat to mine.  The owner reported that the rudder design he felt was poor and needed improvoing.  The rudder that comes with the boat is a plain flat one.A bit of reserach came up with several designs that are better and give more turn for your buck.  In the end I decided to go for a type know as a Schilling, or Fishtail...

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Across Atlantic Ice or people came to America by boat

In their book Across Atlantic Ice, the authors posit the theory that people of the Clovis culture came to America along the edge of the ice sheet that went from the northern coast of Spain to the northern Atlantic coast of America.  The idea is that they traveled by boat, skinboat supposedly along the ice edge and ate sea mammals that they killed...

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