Work

stripped canoe

I’ve had the canoe for two months now. I’ve pulled off the canvas, removed the broken ribs, mapped out the planks that need replacing, ordered new ribs and planks and decks, pulled out the damaged seats, and done everything else imaginable to avoid stripping the varnish off the damned thing.

I started that project this weekend. Lathered it on Saturday, left it on overnight, and started peeling away today. Everything I read said this was the least fun part of the job. It is. It’s time-consuming, back-breaking work, bent over the sides with a putty knife and a brush in both hands and giant goggles over my face. But it should be done within the week, at which point I can tackle some other repair I’m not prepared to handle yet.

1924 Old Town OTCA

1924 OTCA

I bought a canoe. Why? It was cheap, mostly. They wanted $100. I offered $65 and they took it. It’s an old canoe. 87 years old. The same age as my grandfather, actually, and in about as good of shape. Structurally fine, but in need of a patch and minor renovation here and there.

I knew almost nothing about the canoe the day I picked it up. I knew it was a wood-and-canvas (also called cedar-canvas) canoe. I knew it had half the canvas removed. I knew it was from the early 1900s. I knew it needed more repairs than I knew how to make. But I also was in need of a project and had recently moved to an apartment with a yard. I bought it.

There happens to be a very friendly and knowledgeable community centered around cedar-canvas canoes. I posted the serial number and within a few hours, knew infinitely more about my canoe. It was made by Old Town in 1923 and 1924. It was originally dark green. It is made of cedar (planks and ribs), spruce (gunwales, inwales, stems, and keel) and birch (decks, thwarts, seats).

Now, the fun begins. The goal: have the woodwork done by the first snow in Newport, Kentucky. Then figure out a place to re-canvas the sumbitch in the spring or summer, and have it on the water by next September. I’m in way over my head, but as a friend of mine recently encouraged, that’s a good place to be.

50 Greatest Cincinnati Songs

Cincinnati Magazine recently ran a great article called “The 50 Greatest Pop Songs Recorded In Cincinnati“. Chris Varias makes a damn fine argument for Cincinnati’s place with Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans as a truly great American music town. Read the article, and then check out the playlist, which includes as many of the songs as I could track down.

Jaydiohead

If you enjoyed  Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers, try Jaydiohead on for size. Max Tannone threw Jay-Z  (a favorite of mashup artists) and Radiohead together. The results are sometimes average, sometimes impressive. Check out “December Backdrifts,” above. Also, try Mos Dub – Tannone’s mashup of Mos Def with reggae.

Youngest On Everest Blogging

Everest; by claude_florin

I fact-checked Bruce Barcott’s incredible story, “Into Teen Air“, which profiles 13-year-old Jordan Romero. Jordan is attempting to become the youngest person to both summit Everest (current record held by Ming Kipa Sherpa) and complete the Seven Summits (record held by Johnny Strange and Johnny Collinson).

I’ll be tracking Jordan’s progress over the next month over at Outside’s blog (search for “Youngest on Everest“). Jordan will attempt  the world’s highest peak from the north (Chinese) side sometime in May, skirting Nepal’s age limit of 16. He is currently in Kathmandu with his father and father’s girlfriend, organizing gear and preparing to cross the border.

Magical Mystery Chambers

As promised, the full download.

Bandcamp did not say why they removed their link, but Caruana’s label (Tea Sea) has the full album available. Gratis.

Enjoy.