The Oar House

This is not the original. Our friend/architect/builder, J, who designed our 1993 island cabin, designed and built this creation in 1996 with Medium Density Fiberboard which I painted to look like stone blocks - with a four sided red roof (no overhang at all) of the same material coming to a point on the top. Can you picture a tall pointy stone sentry at the top of our wharf?? lots of waterproof varnish. An architect’s vision! Well,…. so much for design. Stupid material for outdoors in the PNW. By 2005 it was rotting away from the damp. So it came down, with the help of some rowers here, and was rebuilt with the help of many (but not that particular architect!) ; friend and woodworker T helped get the base level, H did the plywood structure and the cedar board and batten siding. We saved the original door, hung by H and son P. Another friend had worked as a roofer so helped with the roof and tarpaper - with a big overhang this time! - and the metal was put on by our builder who put the roof on the sauna at the same time. So it’s a different structure with the same purpose.

With an inside dimension of 32” x 33”, and 12’ 6” to the peak (the door is 10’ 6” high) it can hold at one time 3 sets of 9’ 4” sculling oars (see 2 aquamarine sets on the wharf here) , 2 kayak paddles, 3 sets of different size dinghy/inflatable oars, 2 5 gal cans of gas, fuel additive, mast and boom, rudder and bow sprit for the sailing dinghy, 2 oar masters (seat and stretchers) and 2 sets of riggers for the Alden., different size lines, life jackets, extra CO2 canisters, boat cushions, seat pads, electric cords, sponges, towels, gloves, boat wax, WD40, and assorted small items…Tatum and her family were just getting ready to leave for Seattle and we were putting things away, so I had her stand there for scale, (on the high side)—this being the closest she got to a paddle this trip. :-) In 3 days, she starts middle school!

Saw lots of whale boats next to Galiano when we were taking the family to get the ferry - my camera caught that they were orcas, far away. We chased them in Trincomali on our return but it was very choppy and we gave up. so no good photos. Now it’s time to relax!!!!!

This will be the entry for building/Architecture for the MBC.