Recently, Senator Jack Reed of our beautiful state of Rhode Island stopped by the museum to look around and observe our progress with the RELIANCE Project.
He seemed thrilled with what we’ve accomplished! Here are a few pictures from the visit.
Over the past several years, you have seen on our blog site the wonderful nickel plated parts we’ve received from RE Sturdy Company. This week we received our last shipment of plated parts from RE Sturdy Company along with a note that this 158-year-old family-owned business was closing.
We are humbled and honored to think that as they were struggling with NAFTA and free trade competition, and burdensome, inequitable regulations, taxes, fees, permits, and licenses, they would support our project. We thank the Perkins family for their generous support, and wish them well in their new endeavors.
Several years ago, we made 4′ displays of mid-sections of the topmast, topsail yard, and club. Missing was a section of the 40’7″-long bowsprit. A visitor, Paul Batzle from the Pacific Northwest, noted this absence and sent us a 300 lb. freshly cut Douglas fir log. Until now, it has been aging for almost three years. Pictures show Bern shaping the log on Saturday to 14 3/8″ diameter. It now weighs 170 lbs.! Much of the weight loss is water, but as you can see chips were flying, too. Now for a little shellac and varnish.
Finally, after an arduous and careful trip down Burnside Street, the RELIANCE entered the museum’s large doors to find a new home within the Hall of Boats.
Then, it was on to rigging and mini-exhibits. RELIANCE will remain in this spot until opening day, when it is moved to its new temporary exhibit area in the back of the Hall of Boats and rigged with mast. Full rig will have to wait until the new atrium is built; it’s too tall by a dozen feet for this hall!
Before we show you our move to the main museum building, we thought it would be fun to remember the first move. We’d been working on wooden spars for about 8 months and wondering whether we’d be building our own hull, when from heaven and Halsey’s 2nd-floor shop there emerged a pristine white hull.
March 2013.
You may remember that old, gray working cradle in which RELIANCE sat for all those years. Now, almost three years later, we’re taking the completed hull down Burnside St., past Halsey’s shop and to the Museum…
Fast Forward:
Early in the A.M., before the crew arrived, Sandy was completing last minute details to the fantail.
Soon, Capt. Trivia waved that he was ready and the crew slowly moved RELIANCE to the street where it was turned and positioned for the journey downhill under Keith’s direction. Note Sandy and Bill looking on their cellphones for the latest on weather, spiritual guidance, and whether Ford would show up for a promotion video: “F-150 prevents 169-ton boat from careening out of control.”
Denise has been working diligently on the uniforms for our toy crew, while John has been sculpting the faces of the crew to accurately represent their respective real-life personas.
Oliver Iselin
Charlie Barr
First and Second Mates
Captain Nat
Meanwhile, Steve Thurston of Thurston/Quantum Sails–whose grandfather was a sail maker at Herreshoff–has been making period sails. Steve consulted his grandfather’s 1950’s notebook to make sure he got everything right; Steve was also able to consult Hathaway’s sail maker note book for construction details of this particular #1 stay-sail (Hathaway was head sail maker at the time). Observe the stay-sail construction. Missing are the last steps where the outlines of the panels and battens were added, but you can see the effect when it was hoisted for the Bash.
Stunning!
Monday was RELIANCE’s last night in Building 28. As of now, she has been transferred down to the Hall of Boats for debut at the Frostbite Bash.
Here’s Captain Trivia’s last cruise while Sandy cleaned up. This is the community’s last time with the spirits of 28.
Work has been progressing over this early winter on all the details of the rigging; the blocks, splicing, and making up the shackles are all getting done. We recently dry-fitted the main sheet system. You can see Herb in the background making a micro-splice. Poor guy!
The Saturday crew has been working with extra gusto!
Laura completed all splices for the two topmast backstay runners and started the wire-manila peak halyard tail splice. Joe has been repainting the deck which, over the past two years in the shed, has become shop worn; Bern has been helping with making blocks.
Meanwhile, Burr delivered his latest masterpiece: the topmast cone assembly. You may remember that last fall, Bill fashioned the lignum vitae truck, and several years ago, Mike cast a topmast cone. Well, Burr took those pieces, machined the cone, then made the topsail halyard sheave and metal housing, and assembled everything together. We couldn’t even find the housing solder joint. So awesome!
Did we mention that the average age of these guys exceeds 80?!
The RELIANCE Project 