Quiet moment

Just having a quiet moment with my half made boat. Family holiday prevents me carry on the work and the forced reflective moment is like a long pause in an important speech. After such a pause i wonder weather i will still have the same feelings and sense of direction and drive to finish the boat. Will my sentiments change, what decisions to be made will be different, what mistakes will be made? As my life moves on the half built boat hangs in time like an animation still. Taking up the space before me with its own will, life to live, water to flow under its hull wind to flow over it and drive it, passengers crew and on lookers to inspire. Its birth is rooted in time and the many hands of the past, guiding its creation. What a risk, onlookers ask who's design is it, how can i answer this question, how far back do you go to the creators of tools and floaters of wood to travel over water. Its a new design and way to build i make up as i go along all elements of which come from others efforts to find there answer to the staying afloat problem. Influenced by the lines designs and construction methods of multiple sources, brought together by my mind and hands. Yes a great risk in time and resources, a stab in the dark with little experience of boat design, it could all go wrong, it could be a pig. A boat that might be happier going the opposite direction than intended, tipping over too easily rocking violently on every wave and scaring the crew, it might even upset onlookers as non traditional or not modern enough or to others it might look so wrong they will prevent its crew leaving the shore. Your not qualified you have no certificate or insurance enough experience. Building experience is my privilege and duty to the world. Guffaw will float will sail and will inspire.

Ribs

All ribs steam bent and nailed in before christmas, just hope any cracking ribs take place before i fix any more to the hull. Lashing of the ribs next. Will have to do some over the holidays to catch up.

At this point

I keep thinking what is the point. Why do i continually make things i have never made before. Why do i challenge myself so often to make things i have no experience of. Why can i not be satisfied with just doing a bit of same old same old to more easily pay my bills. No i have to some how contort my mind toucher my patients and stress myself out. Why! What am i trying to prove what am i after?
The boat is coming on but each step has yet to be proved until completed, its hard work and i am feel behind schedule for the exhibition, having had time out with flue i now have to catch up all i can over christmas but not feeling like more work. Progress is good to see after stewing in my bed with the flue. Just have to keep focused and not think to hard of the problems and unpracticed process ahead.

Stringers

Taking shape.

Out from the shadows of the mind

Finally after so many years of waiting to make a boat the shadows of my minds eye image is appearing.

Pitch pine centre board

Felt good cutting up and plaining an old pitch pine beam from the mill today. Glued it up with water proof glue will make a great centre board strong hard and heavy.

Progress.

Last laminate

Stern post made

Clampy clampy action

Stern now laminated

Lofting

Lofting the full size plan of 4.88 m boat very excited!

RSA VAS show application

This coming visual arts scotland show at the royal scottish academy in february is a big one they have the whole place to fill. So i have been thinking big. Hear is hoping my lost a sea installation is selected.

Hardest thing

Well drawing the lines for my skin boat is the hardest thing i have done for while. Hull design is a skill that only comes from experience and there is only one way to get that is by taking the risk and doing it. Here is wishing she will not be a pig! Design is inspired by feroe isles rowing boats, and modern ply row sailers but mine will be half the weight the design brief was hard but guessing at the shape of the hull is like so infinitely complex my imagination is engaged to a degree i have not be used too for a while. Now the lines are down i will have to get it built and in the water before i change my mind.

Black

Painting on the black shiny goo i think of my father all his years at sea chasing after oil and gas. The goo, the oil is probably the stuff that gave him his bladder cancer, he said it was common among oil mem. 35 yrs in the industry of oil its a risk. The tarred pod. Looking at its scale he would have just fitted inside, now without seeing the internal structure it easier to imagine.

Ready to paint

See through is very different.

Mussing on the launch

A bit of wood

This bit of wood was a hexagonal block in my lat farthers shed for as long as i can remember. Its his pod end now.

Whats that on the bench under that sheet daddy!

Image in my mind

Proposal for rsa

Quite excited

Now i want to build the big one and boat to tow it!

Sculpture in progress

Sculpture in the making. Scale model of a sort of skin boat constructed man pod. In memory of my dad.
I will provide no title viewers will be able to relate to the human scale of it in there own way.
Releasing the final version to the north sea from our wee boat will be symbolic for me in so many ways i will not try to understand.

Oh arr

Digger service

Chuckle's Signal Flags

Chuckle's Signal Flags to be used this summer on our cruise round the Firth of Forth.

Poster layout

Signal flag poster making

Be happy

Chuckle’s Signal Flags

24 june

Chuckle’s Signal Flags

Prep for our cruise of the forth has been ongoing for some time, it is now my full time interest for the next few weeks, before we leave I have a number of things I want to make for us and especially the wee ones to use in our navigation. Leadline for measuring depth and seabed nature, chip log for speed in knots and signal flags, all direct sensory connections to our physical environment. This is fundamental navigation, and natural to children, GPS is not, and my commitment to make these items beautifully and give them to the children to use, document the experience and provide them in presentation boxes for selection in open art exhibitions is to simply promote the need to keep hold of the simple things in life and mistrust complex technology.

our family sailing blog can be found here: http://nordicfolkboatchuckle.blogspot.co.uk

I woke up this morning

And felt the need to be fully accessorised!

Gunwale chair oak

Idle play

Landscape of an idle mind

Watch out

Just done my accounts for end of year. Watch out for hidden shell fuel card charges. Just closed my account. 

https://twitter.com/thomashawson/status/466887295925514240

Dr Thomas Hawson

Hundalee Mill Farm

Jedburgh

TD8 6PA

01835 869931

07801 653830

tom@thomashawson.com

www.thomashawson.com

http://nordicfolkboatchuckle.blogspot.co.uk

Wheel house pottery display

Jenny (my wife) is very happy with her new pottery display i have just built. Now her pots have a display area we hope she might sell more of them. The next step will be an online shop.

Chair prototyping stage one

Now on the drawing board amending mockup.

Final round

Hand planning the yard arm round

Rounding the yard arm

Yard arm in progress

Oars

Making big oars. Very satisfying.

Salad servers

The pleasure in the making will be felt by the user, for many years i hope!

Why make a spoon

Because i love making with axes, gouges and knifes and they are beautiful.