Well, folks, this video just about says it all. This is Jaleel, the young man who said, last year, “I can’t believe I built a boat!”, driving the boat he worked hard to save over the last 6 weeks – the first he’s driven, but not only that, the first he’s ever ridden on and the first he’s repaired and restored. Today it was “no words needed”.
Jaleel has been there every step of the way on this project, so he saw what we started with, and what it took to get to this point.
So what did we learn? A whole host of things –
We learned a little about buying a used boat – how to evaluate it, how to survey it to make sure it can do what we need, how to negotiate a fair price.
We learned how to set objectives and make a plan. We learned how to pace and time the work, how to decide what needed to be done, and what could wait for winter..
We learned how to tear out the old woodwork – but keep it organized so we can rebuild it.
We learned how to run a seriously powerful pressure washer, how to scrape, sand and paint the old deck.
We learned some woodworking skills – running the chop saw, the table saw, the bandsaw and even a little work on the CNC router, to rebuild the woodwork.
We learned some electrical work – rewiring the trailer, checking the controls on the outboard, and putting in a custom switch and panel for the running lights, using the Glowforge laser cutter to engrave the mounting plate.
We got to freshen up the motor, a 1984 Johnson 35hp outboard, replace a few parts and then tune it as we ran our tests. We learned about packing and greasing trailer wheel bearings!
We even got to use our vinyl cutter to letter the hull!
Oh, not to mention, we learned a whole lot about small boat handling – safe launching, operating, and loading it back on the trailer at the end of the day. Not a bad summer break!
Join us for the Official Launch of our Boston Whaler, the Adeline T!
We’ve run the boat a few times to get it tuned in, but you should join us for the official launch on Friday, August 23 at 4PM at the Blossom Street boat ramp, right by the ferry!
Help us out!
Please help support our next build, coming up soon! Donate here, on our website, or drop a check in the mail to:
The Brickyard Collaborative
589 Essex Street #207
Lynn, MA. 01901
Hope to see you soon out on the water!
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