Unicorn Wood

The stem, keel, keel apron, sternpost, and transom of our boat are finally coming together. Here are the pieces of the puzzle:

Eric "Vannah White" Hervol and stem assembly (comprised of four separate curvy, bevely, not ever square pieces)

Stem bolted and "schmooied"

The stem bone is connected to the keel bone, and the keel bone is connected to the stern post.

Now, for the transom, or rear end of the boat. As all sailors know, a boat has to have a very sexy bottom. The only way to achieve this, is to use the fabled "Unicorn Wood".

It has been said that a long, long time ago, a boat builder wandered countless eons through far flung exotic rain forests, searching the world over for the perfect boat building wood. He had heard that trees grew where the unicorns dwell--hard, durable, rot resistant, straight, with grain as true as the hearts of the unicorns themselves. Alas, one day, near the end of his life, he chased the tail of a rainbow...and ended up in a Mahogany forest in Honduras. Yep. Honduras Mahogany, or "Hondo" is the perfect wood. Beautiful, planes like butter, never rots, and is nearly gone. We used it all up, and now you're as likely to find a freakin unicorn as you are a stick of Hondo. Turns out, Yoda has connections. Feast your eyes on this FOURTEEN inch wide board.

We were able to get the whole transom out of 2 pieces. they were bent and wonky, like a unicorn's horn, so we had to joint them carefully, and cut a 1/4" rabbet in the center to spline them together with goo. Finally, my first lethal toxic epoxy goo experience in boat school! I got that shit everywhere, but the spline came out great!

Next, i used a beater chisel to get the glass hard goo off, then hand planed a trash bag full of shavings to get the whole thing flat. (Props to Farmer B for the #4 Stanley)

I took the Hondo shavings home and started my fire with them tonight. The unicorns blessed me with the trees of their homeland, and rainbow colored fairies danced around my wood stove as i lit her up.

Next, Eric and i cut the transom to shape. EEEEEEEEP! Three days of work invested in priceless, magical wood, and i had to shove it thru a bandsaw and cut a continuously changing bevel. Eric tilted the table, and i wrangled the slab of Hondo. 

I must say, it came out very well...

And alas, the unicorns frolicked and played amidst the beautiful, glowing trees of their mythical forest world.