Building shed demolished by Nor'Easter

Comment by Brian on January 12, 2011 at 8:48am

I'm sorry Bob...If you need hands for a rebuilding party please be in touch.

Comment by Bob Bois on January 12, 2011 at 8:54am

Thanks Brian. The last blizzard was no problem but I couldn't keep up with the snow on this one. Perhaps a gothic structure instead of the quonset would better handle snow loads. It's going to be a while before I can rebuild at any rate. Still snowing hard right now but I've got to get my tools out of there ASAP. After the snow stops, I'll survey the damage and come up with a plan. Bummer.

Comment by kim whitmyre on January 12, 2011 at 12:13pm

I remember Nor'Easters! I was living in the Western Berkshires then. It was wet, heavy snow: lots of it! Gave the forest a pruning. Hang in there, Bob. . .

Comment by Geminidawn on January 12, 2011 at 2:37pm

Had the same thing happen to me twice with a building shed in Scotland, first time I thought it was the weather second time I found it was the kids next door and the local gang swinging out of it. So I employed them all to help me re-build it and maintain it, promising them a spin on the boat when finished, it worked!

Comment by Ann and Neville Clement on January 13, 2011 at 9:13am

Oh Bob!

     We actually do know how you feel.  When we were building Peace, we had to destroy our first build of lower hulls when we discovered that the ply we were using was all defectively manufactured even though it was stamped as best quality marine ply.  It was delaminating in the shed.  We had to cut it up and start all over again.  So we know how you feel.

     The cure for how you feel is to clean up the mess and start again.  Ruthie Wharram phoned us and gave us the courage to do that for Peace and it did work for us.  She just told us how it was for "Jimmy" and how they kept having to struggle through all sorts of problems. 

     When we looked at your shed, it looked pretty strong to us, but now you can look very close and see where it needs to be stronger.  Piero had his shed collapse once with the boat inside and he had to make changes to the shape.  His used to be shaped like a church and is now even more pointy topped.  It has given him no trouble since.  The recent snow you had up there was wet and extra heavy, but that is part of what you need to expect in NE.

     How about you folks come down for a warmer complete with mulled wine and lots of hugs?  We are usually in shorts and tee shirts, bare feet, and folks go swimming with fishing gear all the time.  When you finish your boat you can cruise these waters.  COURAGE! 

      Love, Ann and Nev

Comment by Ann and Neville Clement on January 13, 2011 at 9:19am

Hey, I have a thought about rebuilding.... If you get your plans clear in your mind, perhaps we could have a weekend in the spring with all hands holding hammers, drills, timber, screwdrivers, etc and after that, the band could play in the shed again!!!  YEAH!  That band is awesome!  We will bring a big spaghetti dish and it will be fun.  Love, Ann and Nev

Comment by Bob Bois on January 13, 2011 at 9:57am

Thanks everyone, for the encouragement. We're making a play for our homeowner's insurance to pay for the rebuild. I think this is covered.  Ann: thanks for your generous offer and all your support. We are thinking that the gothic frame might better deal with significant snow loads. This shed was very strong but the snow fell too fast. At 2 am, the snow hadn't even started yet, so we went to bed. I set the alarm for 5 am, thinking that would give me plenty of time to knock any accumulation of the plastic. I was in the head, getting ready to go out and heard the structure collapse. So, in a way, I was lucky: if it had collapsed 15 minutes later, I would have been inside. So, we got nearly 2 feet of snow. My estimate is we accumulated 9 inches in 3 hours. Here's something interesting: the plastic covering never tore, it was a load failure of the steel rafters themselves. From a design perspective, that might not be optimal, as it's easier to throw an emergency tarp over the intact frame than it is to replace the frame itself. At any rate, no one was hurt and it was a good reminder of what the weather can do. If insurance comes through with the money, the rebuilding is easy. Take good care, all.

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