Master Manipulator

A couple of my gondoliers and I spent most of the day today
installing new rail on the Curci Gondola.

She was built in 1960 in Venice and imported just a few years later,
landing here in southern California.  this boat, known as "The Lucia",
was lovingly maintained here in her new home,
but eventually she lost a little trim.

A piece here, part of a piece there.
50+ years later, the brass on this proud boat was down to about 60%.

When we hauled her out earlier this year,
I decided it was time for a full rail replacement.
A soft, pliable aluminum option was chosen, and after a full paint job
was applied, and had cured, it was time to do the makeover.

My gondolier Jakob is a man of many skills, but even so, we were all
surprised at just how well he did at manipulating the aluminum trim.
This stuff comes in twelve foot lengths.
Tacking in the first eleven feet goes quickly, but when you're trying to
wrap that last foot of trim up to the tip, with an upturn and an odd twist,
those last twelve inches become a real challenge.
Turns out Jakob is a "master manipulator" when it comes to aluminum trim.
I'm gonna make sure he's on every rail project I do.