October 2026 Newsletter
October 2026
Fall 2026 and the work carries on.
September saw the completion of the full framing, half frames and floors (11 thru 0) aft, half frame 38 fwd and the start of the cant frames going forward from there. We also started the process of producing the laminated Douglas Fir deck framing pieces, starting with the longitudinal carlins and working our way forward to the cambered laminated transverse framing. To do this we received a large load of beautiful Doug Fir timber, cut to dimension and surfaced to our specifications. We also received a large load of Sapele, the first of many orders, that we will surface to our needs and use for longitudinal stringers, sheer clamps and deck shelves, and many other uses throughout the ship. We are waiting for our longest lead item, the Sapele for hull planking, which is currently accumulating in the pacific northwest and will ship later in October or November.
New word of the day for you to look up: HARPIN. Do your research and then come by the ship and see how these unique pieces are applied in the construction process.
This month we will put the transom up, finish the cant frames forward, continue laminating deck beams and carlins, will start laying in the hull longitudinal stringers, sheer clamps and main deck beam shelves on the inside of the hull frames.
We continue our Friday Talks series, scheduled for the second Friday of each month. The talks will cover various maritime subjects related to our ship and will be accompanied by a BBQ lunch provided by Mac and the shipyard. The lunch will start at 1300, lecture shortly thereafter. The first in the series covered history of the original PILGRIM's builders and the area in which the ship was built. The next, 14 August, covered an introduction to Nautical Terminology, the third, 11 September, the topic was an introduction to Naval Architecture and engineering -basically, how does the darn thing float and what are the elements of shape that contribute to stability, resistance and motions? This month, 9 October, will be given by our own Charles Didham and the topic will be shipbuilding in the town of Bucklers Hard, England, in the 1820's. All are welcome, but please let the main office know by 7 October if you plan to attend (link to email in announcements section).
This month I have the pleasure of welcoming John Serbian, Shipwright, to the crew and announcing the following promotions:
Geoffrey Wilson from Journeyman to Shipwright, Josh Griffin from Apprentice to Journeyman, Steve Opsal from Apprentice to Journeyman
And finally, please mark your calendars for Friday, 6 November 2026 for a celebration of completing the hull framing of PILGRIM III with a RIB PARTY. We are planning an afternoon of fun and the accomplishment of reaching a significant milestone in the construction of the ship.
Looking forward to great progress next month!
