Sharpening Scissors and Knives In Virginia

I visited Fletcher's Boathouse this afternoon. Fletcher's is just below Chain Bridge as it descends into Washington DC. I had visited over the years. Arriving by car by the tunnel under the C & O canal is truly a experience. The tunnel looks like it was built during the Civil War and probably was. I was always impressed by the lines of the skiffs. They looked much the same for the last forty years or so that I had been looking at them. But most were not that old Fletcher told me.

This is where wood boat building meets the pavement. These boats are outside all year and are always in the river. Nothin g fancy here. He says they paint them every year with porch and deck enamel. They use marine plywood which has solid plays with every ply plugged. His father began making the boats originally of planks of cypress . Fletcher says you can't find cypress any more and pretty soon there just won't be any. Wood of any sort is more and more expensive

I asked him if there was any Cupernal on them and he allowed as there are people who would gladly put in jail for using Cupernal. I remember buying it at Hechingers the local hardware store where it was stacked up and ready for consumers to obtain by the gallon to preserve what ever was wood. Today boatbuilders rely on epoxy to preserve and fill in gaps. Fletcher's boats just use water proof glue, Weldwood probably.