O Shim, All Ye Faithful

December. Christmastime. Boatbuilding. An unusual combination, perhaps... but not to me.

Christmas 2011. Glen L. Witt's book "Boatbuilding With Plywood," and plans for a Glen-L Squirt.

After all, it was during Christmastime that I started on my very first boatbuilding project several years ago... my unfortunately failed attempt at building a Glen-L Squirt. Looking back, it was an odd decision that I made to buy Squirt plans when what I really wanted was the Zip. Oddly, now that I'm building a Zip, I often wish I had simply finished a Squirt. Even though it's minuscule, I believe that line-for-line, the Squirt is one of the most elegant and beautiful boats that Glen L. Witt ever designed.

So, enough reminiscing. The previous post left off with the low spot in the outer starboard floor batten, and the plan to shim it. Come, let us behold shim:

  
Here it is, clamped into place & the epoxy curing.

Now, on to Christmastime sentimentality:

Sometimes I feel like the Grinch incarnate, because I just can't seem to get into the "Christmas Spirit" anymore. Part of it, without doubt is the sickening over-commercialization of the holiday. It has turned into pure madness. Lately, I've tried to give my Christmas spirit a boost by listening to Christmas songs on the radio... but it just feels so empty. I love all the classics like Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and certainly Tchaikovsky. But, the other day I noticed that the other classics have virtually disappeared from the airwaves. O Come, All Ye Faithful. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear. Silent Night. What happened to those classics?

O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem

Come, and behold him
Born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore him
O come, let us adore him
O come, let us adore him

Christ, The Lord.