The boat-shed, part 4.

After re-assembling the 2cnd truss above the boat, I recruited a friend to lift it into place. We wrangled the ends onto the 'beams' of the shed the butted them against a board attached to the post. With some grunting we stood the truss up. 

The process was repeated for the 3rd truss, only the recruited friend was unavailable. Fortunately the Mrs. hadn't seen the last effort so she was willing to lend a hand this time.

The final truss is different from the rest.

It is designed to allow a large opening for when the restoration is complete. However, the assembly and raising process went the same as the others.

And there it is, a 16x36x18 boat shed built by a boat lover and an eight foot step ladder.

The boat-shed, part 3.

The shed is really three 12x16x12 cubes in line. The trusses I decided on are a modified 'A' beefed up a bit. The peak is just over 6 feet off the 12 foot height of the posts, leading to a 9-12 pitch for good snow-shedding. The horizontal member of the A shape is about 3' above the posts. Currently the way the boat is blocked, the deck is about 9' off the ground so I will be able to walk on the boat in the shed. 


The trusses were built in the garage, much to the chagrin of the Mrs.every rainy day, to provide a flat surface. The long 2x4's you see are a reference for the width and location of the posts.

The trusses are three 2x6's wide with staggered joints, leading to a sort of mortised fit. The trusses in the middle of the shed are extra strong to enable hoisting heavy loads from the boat, like the engine. Here you can see the middle layer of the joints.

Needless to say these trusses are quite heavy. In order to raise them, I first had to get them above the boat. I  decided on separating the trusses into manageable segments. These segments then could be re-assembled on the boat, provided I had a flat area to do it. I proceeded to slap together a platform.

The longer segments were right at the limit, weight wise, that I could manage up the ladder. But once up to the platform re-assembly and bolting went easy enough.

 Between the trusses will be stringers in joist hangers, kind of like deck construction. So I begin at the rear wall. This last, or first as it were, truss differs from the middle ones. It is supported by a framed wall underneath and will not be used for lifting. Therefor the middle layer of the 3 2x6's is just for joining elements of the shape.

I ran two extra boards up from the wall to prevent the truss from toppling as well as to provide a plumb reference while 'monkeying' the pieces into place.

to be continued....

The boat-shed, part2.

Spanning the top of the posts will be a 2x10 on the outside face and a 2x6 on the inside. I thought I would add these elements next, to ensure the posts stayed plumb as well as serve as a reference level at the 12' mark. However, raising the 2x10x12' board, leveling it, and affixing it to the posts took way too much effort solo.

Instead, I added some temporary supports around 8' high using 2x4s, as well as diagonals for structural strength. After disassembling the grid framework on the ground I replaced them with the treated lumber for the wall's footers. The bottom of each wall has a 2x6 on edge abutting a 2x6 laying flat. These then provide a level footing for the rest of the wall which is simply sistered 2x6s at 4' increments.

To ease the effort in raising the 2x10s I built temporary platforms at about 8 1/2' in each corner. These not only helped when building the beam elements, but also when it came time to trim the top of the posts level.

After cleaning up some of the supports I began on the back end of the shed. This wall was designed around the height of a horizontal member in the roof's "A" shaped truss. The higher studs will meet the ends of that piece. Because I am working solo it was easier to build the wall in place rather than build on the ground and raise the wall.

Now that the shed is taken its shape its time to build the trusses.

The boat-shed begins.

In the summer of 2011 I cleared an area for the long term home for Nutmeg. I added some fill to get the base above the damp ground.

Then added about a foot of ledge-rock to drain water and ease heaving pressure. Finally a 2 inch layer of crusher dust for a packed surface.

I had planned on a pole barn type structure and borrowed an auger from a friend's farm. I could only manage 4 foot holes with this equipment. Frost line around here is 5-6 feet. Also, the holes immediately began to fill with water. Now, this summer had been especially wet, and some busy beavers had stopped up the nearby drainage ditch from the road, but winter was due any day now and I couldn't decide how to proceed. I had a tractor with a trencher come to clear out the ditch, but the ground was so saturated I couldn't tell if there would be improvement. I resigned to wait for the spring thaw and see if drainage improved.
Well, I am glad I waited rather than rushed into things. I consulted lots of neighbors and analyzed many structures around the area. I spent the winter filling up my graph pads with countless revisions of boat shed plans. As the snow cleared I settled on abandoning the use of sunken posts and would build directly on the pad I had prepped. It should be able to ride out the grounds movement while avoiding the problems of the saturated earth. The holes were filled in and tamped as I set about laying out the build.

I constructed a grid for the posts so as I stood them up I would know just where to put them to be in line and properly spaced.

I buried a large stone under each post-placement and leveled them to one another.
From there all I had to do was drag over and stand up these treated 6x6x12' posts.... alone.

Plumb them and brace them... alone.

I honestly don't know how I have ever built anything before without using quick-grip style clamps.

It was hard going but by the eighth one I had gotten better at it.

She floats? No, she FLIES!

Autumn '11: Snow is on its way, and Nutmeg is in the way (for snowblowing.) First I had a local welder come to assemble the steel cradle. Second, I hired a local builder who recently acquired a 20-ton lift capacity boom-truck. He had one spreader bar that was longer than my boat, and no extra spreaders to hold the cables away from  the hull. I planned on moving the boat from the wooden supports directly to the steel cradle already assembled on the boat-shed's pad. But to work around the hoist issues, we brought the cradle to the boat. Then lifted the stern with the truck and wrestled the cradle under her.

The cradle then served as a spreader to prevent the cables from squeezing the hull.

As it turns out Nutmeg has some heft and we couldn't have the weight more than 10 feet or so from the truck's bed. So a forty foot move took four lifts.

Caution and intense attention made for a safe move.

Bits (of wood) and Bits (to drill out those stubborn Ole'screws)

Groundwork is underway as I resist the urge to dismantle everything before I have her in place.
I have decided to limit the chaos to the stern for now.

Here is the aft cabin, having removed the 3 layers of glued tarps over the original canvas.

A lot of cabinetry and trim had been removed by the previous owner, but the cabin was usable.

Once the head was out of the way, the berths were disected.

My fondness for Nutmeg remains unchanged and my anticipation of veiwing her bare hull makes the scraping and sanding ahead of me seem less daunting. 

Here she comes...

With springtime in full swing I had to change my plans several times. I am going to construct a steel cradle for Nutmeg, and had planned on using it on a flatbed to move Nutmeg to my yard; however, timing and logistics steered me to using a haulling company and constructing temporary wooden stands. Due to a late melt and wet start to the warm season, the place where I wanted to place the boat was too muddy to prep before delivery. So Nutmeg's placement is also temporary.

Here in potato farming Northern Arrostook county a deep water vessel is a rare curiousity and my neighbors are very interested. Getting ready to pull out the trailer, one 4x4 on each side is all that steadies the boat.

With the trailer edged forward we place the aft stands. Then pulling forward she stands alone:

Note the impact the trailer's tires had on the lawn; still very damp.

With the stands in place I set about constructing a frame for coverring the boat with plastic. Eventually, when relocated,  I will build a shed over her but as she sits I wanted to offer some protection. When the ground allows, the pile of fill will help raise the ground on the other side of the shed which will be Nutmeg's home for the restoration.

Until I complete the groundwork and cradle construction I will resist the urge to start stripping her cabins, deck, and paint. The project has become real to me now, as here she is and she is mine.