New bow pudding, R21 Classic

[GA-Midnight Cruise]

We had used St. Brendan's bow budding from everything from a hasty rescue, pushing a sailboat not under command, adrift in a mooring field to a boarding stirrup and even a dive platform for swimming. Memorial Day, the manila gave way, off I went in the water. A replacement would be necessary as soon as my chest bruises healed. I reached across the pond and contacted Marlinspike Legend, Des Pawson. He's getting up there in age and with shipping, a bow pudding would be prohibitively expensive. I contacted another referral I had here in the US, but that person had some reservations of the project. I then reached out to the Chapman Sea School in Stuart, (Port Salerno) FL where a young Seaman was quickly recommended by the school's staff. Jason, a former Marine and there at the school on the GI Bill, had exhibited a passion for everything nautical. He had done some marlinspike while there at the school and his passion and ethic was recognized by the folks at Chapman. We scheduled a meeting and on my next business trip we met and discussed the challenge. I candidly communicated my reservations of assigning the project to someone who had never knotted a bow fender. Despite my reservations, Jason's attitude and determination to take on the project convinced me that I had the man for the job. We agreed that the replacement should have a stainless chain backbone and suspension which the original had not. I handed him the old, nearly rotted, original for replication. We struck a deal with no timeline as Jason had a Catamaran he was refitting in between studies at the school. I ordered a spool of synthetic manila and had it shipped to him. From the outset, Jason was plagued with the difficulties the synthetic manila posed. He advised that although we were correct in the properties of choosing synthetic, it just was not laying right and that he knew that I would not install it on the boat if it was not right. The synthetic just did not have the working characteristics that natural manila had. Despite natural's susceptibility of deterioration, we agreed on a compromise. We used the synthetic for the core, secured to the stainless backbone chain and decided we would employ natural manila for the outer knot work. I ordered 250' of 1/2 in. natural manila and again shipped it to Jason. After several weeks, week we met up in Atlanta yesterday and Jason produced his handicraft. The stainless attaching shackles allows for removal and storage when St. Brendan is on the hard and to extend the puddings work life. Jason and I are so pleased with the results, he wants to add a Turk's head after he gets back from his latest project. We agreed to meet on the Tennessee River this Saturday in Chattanooga as he's on a 9 day delivery cruise of a 60' Sea Ray from Mexico Beach, FL up to Knoxville, TN. We'll have a beer to celebrate his first pudding. You can see a pic of the newly installed fender on my photo album.

 

[Irishpilot]

Looks great...what was the final cost?

Mike

 

[GA-Midnight Cruise]

Since it was his first stab, and I was baring the risk if it did not turn out, we traded a piece of equipment I had on a trade. He said it will take him 36 hrs, now that he has got the hang of it. A lot of trail and error on mine. You would not believe, but the supplies alone, if you go stainless and rope, approached $400.

 

[fran uteg]

Have been following the conversation on the bow pudding ...... I finally got my photo album up and running to show the pudding and fenders I had made by Barbara Merry for "Reflections" and "Lone Star". She is known as The Marlinspike Artist and has an interesting web site of the same name. The 38" pudding for the launch was approximately $140, the 18" fenders were $50 +/-, and the 48" bearded pudding for the tug was $190. I made the braided attach lines. I have been very pleased with her work and the sisal has held up very well in the high humidity of the south ....... the pudding on the launch is ten years old. Fran 🙂

 

[GA-Midnight Cruise]

Just had Brendan's pudding re-tied. This is number three. Looks great. We use natural manila because it works well. The structure is a stainless backbone.