Restoration Shop Underway

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Big Projects, Small Shop

Bruce -

It's probably a good thing that the shop is on a hillside, preventing me from having a big door at the end of the building. With only the side-access slider door, 12' wide and 13' high, I'm (fortunately) limited to boats that are 25 feet or less in overall length. That won't keep me out of trouble, but it'll help limit the damage.

- Marty

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Boatshop Move Completed

It's been awhile since the last update, but we finished moving out of the old shop at the end of the year and spent the first few weeks of January organizing the new space, building shelves, sorting keen junk, making more dump runs and otherwise getting ready to work on boats again.

We're thrilled to be in the new space, but altogether it's been a l-o-n-g and challenging process to build the new shop, complete the wiring, install insulation, move what seemed like endless tons of junk...and finally get back to the task of boat restoration.

We sincerely appreciated the offers of NWCBC members to help with the move, but it turned out to be one of those processes that could only unfold slowly, sorting things box by box, moving small loads, filling a rented 20-yard dumpster, making runs to the storage garage, etc. There was never a point where we could easily invite a gang over to help, since we rarely had more than one or two loads ready to move on any given day...but the generosity of fellow members was hugely appreciated--so thanks!

Below are some random shots taken inside the building this afternoon. We're finishing two boats at the moment: The 1938-built, 24-foot Viking Sloop (new frames, several new planks, new cockpit, fresh decking, rubrails, new/old Volvo two-cylinder engine and entirely new interior), and the 21-foot Dorsett Farallon belonging to NWCBC members Allan and Sue Martin of Olympia. (We did a new interior and cockpit area in the Farallon last year--phase one--and now we're replacing the broken windshield, buffing out the exterior, repainting some of the white accent panels, installing new rubrail, replacing some corroded deck hardware and otherwise spiffing up the old girl, so that Allan and Sue can participate in boat-club events this summer.

There's another boat hanging overhead, visible in some of the photos...an 1870-design Seaford Skiff, which is a 14-foot rowing-sailing duckboat I'll hope to finish restoring by about mid-summer. I reframed the hull 10 years ago, but have been too busy with customer projects since then to complete the job...so I'm hoping to dedicate some evenings and weekends to the sweet little sailboat and finally start enjoying the boat.

The Viking Class sloop and Farallon will be finished quite soon, at which point we'll begin full restorations of two Skagit 20's, and then a 17-foot wooden inboard runabout from Portland...planning to have all three back in the water by summertime.

Anyhow, I haven't been on the message board much lately--just too busy getting the shop done--but life might return to semi-normal in a few weeks as we finish building-out the interior, sorting the final boxes of keen junk and getting back to serious boat work.

- Marty

[Steve_Kiesel]

Marty, the shop looks great. Full of cool boat stuff. Sounds like you have a lot of fun projects coming up. Looking forward to seeing some new rehab's on the water.

I'm doing the same thing getting this place ready to sell. Trips to the transfer station, trips to storage unit. Trying to get rid of the clutter (junk).

Enjoy your new space, keep cranking out the boats. I sure like seeing the finished results, like Bruce's that rolled out not long ago.

[Skagitguy]

Marty, What a great shop ! Now you will not be getting colds thru out the winter and be able to work in comfort. I'am amazed how you use every square inch of the shop to store all of you goodies.In one of those pictures, it looks imposable to get that sailboat back out of there ? You shure did a great job on planning out all of your details on where everything will go. What size is it again? I did show Sheila your pictures and got a answer back when i told her that would be cool to have a shop like that. The answer was on the Negtive side. Oh well. Have a great time with it. Best,Chuck

[Tim McCrain]

Congratulations!

Marty,

I'm sure it feels great to finally be moved and able to focus on working in the shop instead of on it. Nice commute, too!

Tim

[Skagitguy]

Marty, What a great shop ! Now you will not be getting colds thruout the winter and be able to work in comfort. I'am amazed how you use every square inch of the shop to store all of you goodies and the boats as well. In one of those pictures, it looks imposable to get that sailboat back out of there ? I did show Sheila your pictures and got a answer back when i told her that it would be cool to have a shop like that. The answer was on the Negtive side lol . In the pictures ,where is the big door located to get the boats back outside ? Is the Farallon on the downhill side of the shop or upside ? I'am sure you will enjoy it. Best,Chuck

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Shop Size

Chuck -

Thanks...

The shop is 24' x 48,' with side walls that are 13' high. What saved us, in terms of storage space, was building an 8' x 24' storage loft at one end....filled to capacity, of course!

- Marty