Saturday June 13 was the fifty second anniversary of Mayflower II sailing into Plymouth harbor. Past posts have covered many parts of the big event in 2007. You can also learn all about the ship and its history by going to the Mayflower section of our website.

This year there were a lot of things to do and see at the Mayflower site. We had paper bag puppet making, face painting, movies from 1957 running on a loop below decks, interpreters talking about Alan Vilieres, and all the books he wrote and a whole host of other things.

I was doing a book signing for the Felix and His Mayflower II Adventure, available through our online retail store, and the Nicholas, A New England Tale series of books, also available through our retail website.

The couple to my right in the picture is Joe Meany and his wife Ann. Joe was the American cabin boy during the 1957 crossing of Mayflower II. One of his duties was to keep an eye on the young kitten, Felix, acquired just before the ship sailed from Brixham.

We hear that a lot. Most times a simple answer is forth coming. “I’m painting the ship.” “I’m replacing a plank.” “I’m tarring the rigging. Today the response to that question has me staring into the corner I’m working in inside the great cabin and wonder, “Hey, yeah,what am I doing?”

This little bit of rot in the corner of the Great Cabin is one of those suprises that can really slow you down. We have been finishing up a repair in the cabin, started by the shipyard this past winter. (Maybe the subject of another post)

Finally we, that is Jack and I, (There is only Jack and I now, also a good subject for another post), are getting the bulkhead between the great cabin and steerage back together. the port side went fine, although there are always some unexpected little issue that crop up. the Starborad side however reveled a rotten block of wood that fits between to frames right at deck level. The block has always been hidden by a bed that was removed for this work. Upon close inspection the rot was discovered.

The best way to deal with this parrticular kind of blocking is to remove the planks on the outside of the ship, fashion a new block, with it’s dovetails and all, slide it back into place refasten, or make new planks, caulk. fill, and paint the new planks. Were talking maybe two weeks work, with staging, other jobs to do and the weather.

So I find myself staring into the corner, trying to figure out how to fit this new piece of wood, that is covered with bedding, only fits once it is in place, knowing all the time that this really isn’t the way to be doing this job. “Yeah, Mister, What are you doing?”

I am going to start posting again soon. Right now I am trying to remember how to insert pictures etc.

The picture is from last Friday’s launching at the Jones River landing. I taught a boat building class there last winter. The 13 students built this boat over the course of 10 weeks, meeting Saturday mornings and Tuesday nights.