Behold our new main channels! Admittedly, they don't look much like the old ones yet; we have a long way to go before we can attach this white oak to the Half Moon.

Captain Reynolds, Kipp van Aken, and John Mangrum have gathered at Rothe Lumber in Saugerties, NY, to watch as our new channels take shape.

After we take careful measurements, it's time for the first cut...

...then the second...

...and eventually, with a few personal touches from Mike Rothe, the lumberyard's owner...

...a recognizable form begins to emerge.

With this massive tree trunk now pared down to a manageable ton and a half, the Rothe crew moves the timber to their saw mill. The final cut is intended to carve the timber in two, creating both of our new channels, but the block of wood is so thick that even the saw mill's whirling blade leaves about two inches for us to take care of later.