Judy P's Tickle Trunk

I finally got up the nerve to open the boxes. So many pieces!!!

The skeleton of an Expedition Wherry

I grabbed the manual and curled up in a cosy corner. It was intimidating to say the least. I then went online and spent some time reading the boatbuilding forums and tips. Most helpful and gave me the confidence to move ahead. The kit itself reminded me of the 3-D puzzles my son used to enjoy

The decks

because the decks and the hull panels are pieced together with notches that look like jigsaw puzzle pieces. What a great idea. You can see them on the end of the deck in the picture.

Cleaning up the edges in preparation for assembly.

I hadn’t realized just how much space I would need. My work surface will be inadequate when I go to glue up the panels tomorrow so I will have to contrive something else overnight. The boat is 18 feet long and there are six panels of three pieces each in the hull. I’ll need to lay them out side by side. Might have to order another tent! There was lots of prep work to do on the panels; touching up edges and removing the tabs left over from the cutting process. Felt good to be finally handling the wood.

The captain’s bonnet.

The transom piece looked like a Hershey’s kiss. Why I felt the need to put it on my head, I don’t know. Always the goofus!

©Judy Parsons 2014