A pirates life for me

On March 31, the students and instructors from the Youth Boat Building Apprentice Program got a special treat. We spent the afternoon sailing aboard the Lady Washington, a restored 18th Century privateer, and did mock battle with her sister ship the Hawaiian Chieftain on the San Francisco bay. It was windy and a little cool but a fun day for all.
The first Lady Washington was built in the British Colony of Massachusetts in the 1750s, the original vessel carried freight between colonial ports until the American Revolutionary War, when she became an American privateer. In 1787, after the war, she was given a major refit to prepare her for a unprecedented trading voyage around Cape Horn. In 1788, she became the first American vessel to make landfall on the west coast of North America.
We sailed on a full scale replica that travels from Seattle to San Diego each year making educational stops along the way. You can get more information on their website.

Check a video of our day on YouTube.

Bob Darr demonstrates bronze casting

In March,  Bob Darr, the director of the Arques Wooden Boat School demonstrated the traditional bronze casting process for the students in the Youth Boat Building Apprentice Program.
The tool he cast is called a "dolly" and will be used by the students when they start to rivet together the boat they are building this year.
The demonstration took place over three weeks.
Step One was creating a sand mold using a wooden model of the tool.
Step Two was melting the bronze, which was recycled from old boat propellers, and pouring it into the mold.
Step Three was cracking the mold and releasing the rough tool. The tool is then cleaned up and is ready to go to work!
 

Pouring hot bronze into mold.

Bob melting bronze in a crucible

The open mold with raw Dolly

Raw & finished Dollys and wooden master