Shutter Plank!
This day has been a long time coming. Rob, our project foreman, has been an oak.
The day before shutter plank day was pretty wet. It opened with fog and drizzle,
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
which was beautiful in its own way (particularly when well-photographed).
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
However, the torrential rains that swept through during the day didn’t bode well for what we all expected to be a well attended and much photographed event on Friday. It didn’t slow down the prep work at all. Bob and the apprentices put a scaffolding tower together for the camera crews,
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
and everyone pitched in to make the boat look extra nice.
Friday morning was a different story weather-wise. Sunny, slightly cool, just perfect.
Rob posted The Schedule.
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
Matt and Scott set up some spars with flags for the ceremony.
The photographers began to gather and set up their gear.
Every moment of this event is going to be documented to the hilt.
Meanwhile, we brought the plank into the carpenter’s shop for a little pre-installation ceremony. Ginger showed up, dressed for her college graduation that same day. She had been on the crew for quite a while, and left a little while ago to join up with the sailing crew on the Lady Maryland. She pitched right in to help carry the plank into the shop. It was just like old times.
Some boat builders can clean up pretty well.
We all signed the back side of the plank. Jeff, who made this plank, expressed all of our sentiments:
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
“This better fit!”
Up on the staging, equipment was checked and re-checked.
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
All of the mating surfaces were given a good coat of linseed oil to help the installation go smoothly.
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
Then we assembled in the shop. Rob and Jeff poured rum,
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
toasts were made,
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
and the plank was given her share.
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
The young guns brought the plank out the the steam box for a quick pre-installation steam.
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
This particular steaming was more ceremonial than anything else. The plank didn’t have much bend to it, but we wanted the folks coming to see just how the process worked. For some people, this was the first time that they’d ever seen a plank installation.
The crowd began to gather, bit by bit.
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
Steve White (the museum’s president), Quentin (head of shipyard) gave brief speeches on the significance of the shutter plank and how closing up the hull represents a significant milestone in the construction of a ship. Rob spoke as well. His entire speech was, “Let’s get her in.”
Ok then.
We hauled the plank out of the steam box, forked it up to the staging, and had the young guns carry it to its location and do the fastening. All of us old fellas were really happy about the decision to have the apprentices take the last lap. After all, they have been responsible for nailing and trunneling just about every single plank in this ship. It’s only right that they have the spotlight today. And besides, they’re really really good at it.
There was a lot of filming, but the crew was great. They didn’t ham it up at all.
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
The Day has a great little video of the ceremony, along with Sean (aka King Pine) driving in the last spike.
You can see a time-lapse video of the installation process as well.
It’s so fast it’s a bit comical.
Did I mention that the last spike was gold?
Photo: Evelyn Ansel
Ok, gold plated, but still…
The plank went in beautifully. Tight, but not too tight. Jeff did a fine job of fitting.
Afterwards, we retired back to the shop for beer, chips, and lots of celebrating.
And just outside, the ship is now a whole creature,
with just a bit of secret gold buried in her.
