Two masts are better than one

Oh...she's gonna be gorgeous.The Spiteful Lady now has 12 sets of ribs fastened to her keel with carriage bolts and battens showing her lines. Each rib set, bristling with carriage bolts, is made of two by fours and spaced a foot apart - she'll be a tank. She'll be 20 feet long - her front 10 feet will be enclosed in a cabin.

It recently occurred to the 'Spiteful Lady Think Tank' that two masts are better than one, meaning she will have a schooner rigging. We'll throw a jib on and we'll be able to keep her three sheets to the wind most of the time.

The ribs are interesting work because the angles on each set are different. Instead of measuring each set according to a plan, we put in three sets of ribs then ran battens around them from stem to stern. With this done, the ribs are cut to fit plum against the battens. We've got enough ribs in place now to begin planking here before we install the remaining ribs.

Ray Elliott, the 'jack boat builder' who's instructing us, said that he'd heard that in the Straits area boats are built differently. That down there they build the three bends solid, attach them to the keel, then plank around those bends. With the planking in place they steam their timbers for ribs, nail them to the inside, then remove the bends for use in another speed boat. I'd be interested to learn if this is true.

Oh, and just so you know, the Spiteful Lady has taken on magnificent significance to the entire province.

Yes, she'll be a ship of magnificent significance says I, tonnes of it.

We're getting a "letter of mark" from the queen. Or, rather, we'll ask her for one politely. Nova Scotians, like myself, remember letters of mark sentimentally, without knowledge of what really happened.

During the War of 1812, Bluenosers strapped cannons to schooners and began preying on American shipping...with the Queen's permission.

She gave us letters of mark, stating that it was a hunky dory mission of magnificent significance, as opposed to piracy (which is bad). Privateers we were called. The consequence was that Newfoundlanders continued fishing and living, while Nova Scotians learned the hard way that schooners and cannons don't mix.

So, we're getting us a pile of those letters, loyal subjects to Her Majesty that we are, and we're heading out to St. Anthony Bight to hunt animal rights activists, foreign fishing trawlers and eco-tourists. Four cabbage cannons will rain refuse on the enemies of the English throne.

See you in the spring.