Water Dragons

   A long day can mean more things than one. The lightning flashes across the tree tops around my attic office, while thunder keeps my 115 lb. Chesapeake Retriever/ Sheppard's ears perked. It will be a long night for him.
   It's already been a long day for me, but I wouldn't feel it so much if I had been working on the Kayaq. As it was, I was getting things in order to get back to her. In a small shop, space is at a premium, so to continue what has been started I have to stay organized. Especially being ADD.
   I love working in wood. I cannot escape the feeling of life that comes into a wooden boat under your hands, especially as it is a living substance coming into it's being in a living environment. A Kayaq is in the water, not on it as with most other boats, and so is more the life of the water you are, with her, a part of. As the sea lions who often follow me are only too aware.
   For the Dragon Lady, that routine started with a trip into the timber, where a logging crew had just felled the trees in a small area close to our former Washington home. I got a kick out of the lumber boss, when I asked for permission to come on their land and cut out some knees for my boat. He asked, "Is it a war canoe, or a peace canoe?"

   I replied that, as it was for my Wife and I, it would be a peace canoe, because this was something we both enjoyed. He laughed and told us to go ahead, and pull as many knees out of the roots they had left as we wanted. We thanked him and his crew, then went into the area to locate the roots with the special curve and grain we needed. I was hoping for cedar, but there weren't many to choose from - so when my Wife, Kim, called out that she had located some we might be able to use, we went right to work. They were fresh felled and solid, so we were hopefully optimistic as I cleared out the area around the base and began the cut.

Plunge cutting is serious business with a chain saw, as any timberman knows, especially in the tricky footing around so much fallen timber. The space had to be carefully cleared and the wood cleaned as far down as possible, to afford a clear cutting area, as well as getting rid of the surface abrasion of rocks and dirt, etc. A dull chain saw doesn't work very well, especially when shaping the piece after it has finally come free.
   I try to cut off the sides while still attached to the base of the tree, as the piece I am working with is more solid, and much safer to work with. It also allows me to get a better view of the condition of the wood, and the lay of the grain. If it's in poor condition or twisted, or splintered from the felling as is often the case, it has to be rejected - something I would rather find out before going to all the work of pulling the piece out - especially before getting it home.

   The shaping is done while still locked into the original form held by the tree - and has to be scoped carefully, because the wood when released from it's part of the tree's base, will move as it drys with the lay of the grain. So it has to be cut in line with the grain, so the stress in the grain is pulling together evenly, which helps to prevent not only distortion, but checking and cracking as the wood drys and cures. I will oil my wood once home during the curing process, preferably with teak oil, as it penetrates well, dries slowly, and works well after it dries. I can also draw my form out on the flattened sides, which allows me to see how the piece will work with the lay of the grain, and check the measurements as it dries.

You can see the shape and lay of the grain appearing as the wood is cut back. I never cut too close to the specifications for the finished piece at this stage. I allow for the extra stock for trim and finish work.
   You'll notice Alabama, our cat standing vigil - he's a story all to himself. Finding him in my wood shed with a bullet hole in the head was only part of the story. But even with only one eye, he was still a force to be reckoned with - as the village dogs found out only too often.
  

   As it cures, after it has been oiled several times, and had at least a few  months to adjust itself to the stresses of it's new shape, it can be worked carefully into it's finishing form. I oil it and let it dry between workings, to prevent checking or cracking, and to preserve the shape and condition of the wood. The end result can become a striking work of art, as can be seen by the closeups of first, this piece of wood formed into the Dragon Lady's byforcated bow, and in the following pictures of my daughter's 15 foot Hunting Kayaq, before it was covered.

Then came the day when Mother and Family
 had to try out out, before it was sent to Alaska for my youngest Daughter's 21st Birthday!

A work in process to a work of art, capable of feeding the family. Which I have done for several years, as a subsistence kayaqer in my home village. Most people don't even know what that is - I'm realizing that I am a survivor of the breed that still uses the kayaq for what it was originally designed and built for.

My beautiful Wife uses the vessel now, and looks a lot better in it than I ever did!

  

And so the Dragon Lady also earns her stern piece, pulled together with her new byforcated bow into the fir keel and gun'l rails, and finally locked together as a unit. A beginning of a new Kayaq, and a new life, as another work of art is born.

And I have a feeling my Wife will have a new name for her...which, with her, I know will be good.

Very good.

-WKD