Sentisah's Novelty Boats!

 I nailed down the ends of the fronds on both ends of the Auset Fronds that was sticking up. Then I added glue to the boat Skulla that's in the backyard. Earlier today I cut open some empty spray cans that had Sealant in them. There was still some sealant left in the cans, so I used the liquid like glue on the Styrofoam that's in the middle of the fronds. I only have the middle section of the Auset Fronds to do. Tomorrow I will measure and cut to size the fronds that I picked out for the middle section of the boat. I have to say that I am really amazed at how well the Auset Fronds has turned out. I'm really glad that I decided to finally just "do it." When you think you're incapable of doing anything that you want to do, eventually you'll believe that you really can't. That's why you never give up on a dream before you even attempt it because you just might be surprised at what you are capable of achieving.

I'm now adding the last layer of fronds on the boat. In order for them to lay uniform, I had to nail the fronds in place before I add wood glue. The fronds being different sizes makes it difficult to cover the fronds underneath them evenly, but they are beginning to look more uniform in their appearance. I'm going to nail the ends of the fronds that are sticking up on the top layer. The way the fronds are arranged plays a major part in how they lay. I decided to arrange the top fronds from bottom to top. The fronds lay better together that way. I started thinking about where the pedal mechanism will be placed once the top layer is finished. Also where I'm going to place the seats. So much have to be considered in what's needed to make sailing the boat comfortable as well as safe. There's no rushing through the process, because it dictates the steps that must be taken in using fronds for construction. The more I work with the fronds as building material, the...

I know that I need to focus solely on the Auset Fronds since she's almost ready for a test launch. I just couldn't resist starting experiments on Skulla's hull. I have to say that I really didn't expect it to turn out as promising as it has. I had no idea that wood glue has the ability to strengthen wood when the glue is applied. I used a small amount of wood glue that I brought for the Auset Fronds, to construct Skulla's keel. I know I have to make sure that I focus on preparing the Auset Fronds for her test launch. I'm going to beginning constructing the pedal mechanism. I already drew a diagram of the design and constructed one wheel that consist of paddle blades. I need to stop procrastinating about when I going to do it because it won't go further than in my mind.

I added some glue to a few fronds. They are actually bonding very well. I'm also noticing how the wood glue gives the fronds a shine to them like they were polished. I think brushing a layer of glue on the fronds when they are permanently in place and contoured, would make the fronds even stronger. The fronds also feel harder, which will enable them to last longer. The last thing I have to do is cover the boat in a few hours because we're suppose to feel the affects of hurricane Michael. It is said that palm trees were designed to withstand strong winds. How sturdy the boat is will play a significant role in her ability to bend with the wind.

I conducted a stress test on the top fronds that's been glued down. When I stepped on them, they stayed in place. That was a very good sign that the boat can handle weight of about 100+ pounds placed on it. The boat is far from uniform, but I'm working on taming the fronds to lay the way they need to lay. Once all the biters underneath the top fronds are covered completely, I can start contouring the top layer of fronds to make the deck more uniform. Now that I have a sense of what working with fronds as a building material is like, I'm going to do things differently in the next project. Some experiments I done on this boat, I won't do when building the next one. It's always better to work with precise measurement when constructing anything. Even if it's very primitive by today's standards. My original plan was to make a boat like the Ancient Egyptian papyrus reed boats that didn't take a year to build. Those boats were made from  soft material  some...

The top side of the boat, is starting to come together now. I'm straightening the Fronds while I add glue. I have to put weight on the Fronds after gluing them to keep them down. Once I have all the gaps in between the top layer of new added Fronds closed, I will straighten out the ends that aren't laying flat. What I wound up doing was having to reshape the Fronds that started twisting while they were drying. I wasn't really sure how the top Fronds were going to look once I started putting them on the boat, and nailed them down. One thing never do when building anything from scratch, is seeing what others have done because self doubt will creep in when making a comparison to what you're trying to build to what's been done already. Patience and confidence is very important when you are fore-filling a long time goal.

 A few days ago I cut the heads off of the fronds that a business owner donated to me. I realized when I was looking at my materials, that these fronds were quite suitable to use to make a platform on the Auset Fronds. Since I am using a hand held branch cutter, I am able to cut the heads of the fronds off in seconds. I no longer have to saw the heads off like I was doing a year ago. Having the right tools is necessary when  working on a project. We've been having a lot of rain with thunder and lightening. The fronds are still wet because I didnn't cover the boat with the sail like I usually do. I've decided I'm going to nail down these fronds before I add the wood glue. I need to make sure that every part of the boat from bow to stern is completely covered with the newly added fronds that will makeup the added platform. Nailing the fronds down will also make them lie straight on the biters underneath  them