Friday, December 14, 2012

Pirate Playship Project

OK, this is the third time to begin this post.  Everytime I try to go to a different location, like to check a date or grab a picture, when I get back to this page, everything I typed is gone.  I'm clicking save after every sentence this time.

Last saturday, I started a backyard project ... Pirate Playship for the grandkids.  I got the idea from my son-in-law back in June, 2010 (2-1/2 years ago ... almost as long as its been since my last post).  I started developing some sketches and thought I'd check out the internet for some ideas.  Lots of pirate ships you can build or buy, but i came across Derrick Hinkley's site, where he will come to your house from Nashville to anywhere in the USA and build the ship in your backyard.  His ship, by the way was the most "build able" and actually looked like a pirate ship.  That seemed crazy to me, so I hit the contact us button and asked him is he had a set of plans to purchase.  He replied that he did not, but that he was working on such a thing and would contact me as they came together.  I next heard from him in September 2011 and he said he was getting close.  In October of this year (2012) he emailed me and asked if I was still interested.  I'd pretty much blown off the idea of building a pirate ship.  The boys are almost outgrowing such a thing, and David and Alyson are looking at moving, so I'd have to build it at my house.  But I emailed him back and bought the plans.

The plans are actually an instruction manual, with step by step directions for building the ship.  They are accompanied by a set of you-tube videos and a one-hour telephone consultation with Derrick.  The videos are actually kind of entertaining, like watching a home-improvement show.  In fact, in the second video, they call it "The Extreme Pirate Ship Makeover Show".  I have to admit, however, I tend do doze off after 10 minutes or so, and each of the 9 videos are 20 to 30 minutes long.

I got the base built last week-end, leveled and supported on concrete block foundations.  It only took 10 hours, but I had to make 3 trips to Lowes for different things, and one trip to Home Depot for stuff Lowes didn't have.  Derrick and his crew built the one in the video in 4 days.  By myself, I'm thinking it might take me 10 full days, which is Saturday's only, so I'm thinking I might be done sometime mid-March or early April.

 This is a picture of what the ship is supposed to look like when I get done.
I purchased the materials for phase 3&4 this afternoon and plan to start the walls for the lower level, set the 4x4's and maybe set the floor joists for the upper decks tomorrow.

Will update as the ship progresses.  Arrgh!

2 comments:

  1. Dude, your son-in-laws could help you knock out half of that in a Saturday. You should have a ship building party. :)
    Also, it's fine that you're just getting started. You have a whole new set of grandkids coming. And I think Ange and Bob were talking about how they want to play in it too. :)
    Way to be awesome, Dad!

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  2. I will never outgrow it. I'm so pumped.

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