February 12

Hello again! Let me introduce myself. My name is Meghan. I've been working for Gary here at Lowell Boats for almost 11 months now. I'm really enjoying it. The work is challenging and fun, and the crew is really amazing! I stole the blog from Linda but don't worry, she's still the office manager here. So I'm here to bring you more boat updates and remind you we're on Facebook and Instagram and I'll be posting frequently now that we're settling in after the move. (See previous blog). Be sure to follow us for all your Lowell Boats news and updates!

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'56 Continental
Hey, it's me! Here I am using a hand planer for the first time. Wow, what fun! Now I understand why Nicolas finds ANY excuse to use one when he can. I was doing some final shaping of the rear seat trim for the 1956 Continental. Gary taught me how to make a new one "from scratch". I really enjoy the woodworking aspect of boat restoration, it's very rewarding work!

Nicolas stained the stern light and bow poles to match the Walnut trim. When applied it almost looks black but after its wiped and left to dry, it brings out a deep richness in the wood grain!

Here is the trim piece I made, using the same Walnut stain

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Nicolas has passionately put hundreds of hours into this boat and it shows! This week he's been rebuilding and re-attaching the beautiful deck hardware, indeed a very meticulous process. In some cases, they are not always fit to be put on in the same way they are taken off; for example, he had to re-thread a bow piece in order for it to fit firmly and accurately in place using a thread cutting die. It's a time consuming process. See below, he's lightly tapping in fragile chrome work with a rubber mallet. There's no room for error in this business!

I painted the inside of the engine box on Tuesday and it took a full two days to dry. This job requires so much patience, but you can't work on wet paint! Once it finally dried, I was able to attach the cushion snaps.

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26' Sea Skiff
Shane and I have been tag-teaming work on the massive hull this week. Sanding, epoxy, wait for it to dry, more sanding, vacuum the dust, fill large holes, apply 5200 sealant to the lower planks, wait for it to dry, more sanding, more cleaning... all while pretty much laying upside down. Soon we'll apply primer to discover more areas that need work.

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19' Lyman
Shane finished painting the Lyman with a nice light gray. Looks great Shane, it's really coming along!

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Century Coronado
Shane has been chugging away, applying multiple coats of varnish this week. One single coat of varnish takes nearly a full 24 hours to dry, depending on temperature and humidity. Like I said, patience is key. 

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'55 Continental
This week, Gary put another coat of varnish on some of the trim pieces for the 1955 Continental. We have many more coats of varnish to put on the hull and top deck today and next week.

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'40 Chris Craft Deluxe
Jack' finished work on the trailer and varnished the deck, it's looking beautiful!

Jack says, "Make sure you get my good side!"

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Have a great weekend!

Blog by crewmate Meghan L