Finishing
Special Additions
- Signatures from Dr. James D. Watson and Dr. Francis Crick, who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize with Maurice Wilkins for discovering the structure of DNA, the double helix.
- Exotic woods in the ornate compass ring were left over from the reconstruction of the Amistad, another ship standing for liberation.
- A navigation console was constructed with woods from the Calypso, echoing her brave spirit to venture into the unknown.
- A white rose inlay on the console reflects the TurboSails of the technologically advanced Alcyone.
1. The Double Helix needed to be held vertical for the addition of a small amount of epoxy poured into the inside ends of the kayak. Rods of titanium were fitted to the inside curves prior to the "end pours" for additional strength.
3. Several exotic woods, left over from the reconstruction of the Amistad, were kindly provided by the ship builders of Mystic Seaport. These were milled and epoxied together into what would become a beautiful compass ring.
5. Carbon paper was used to help transfer the deck's profile into the underside of the compass ring. (A trick used by dentists to check a patient's bite.) The open space in the center of the ring would permit a small light to be placed under the compass for night navigation.
7. Another close up picture of the vines on the rear deck.
9. Close up of the Navigation Console constructed with woods from the Calypso and plastic from the Alcyone. Red paint recovered from the Calypso wood fragment was pulverized and mixed with epoxy, then used to inset the white plastic rose carved from a piece of an Alcyone turbosail.
11. Nobel Laureates Watson and Crick signatures on the hull of the Double Helix. They signed their names using pencil on a card made from birch wood. (No ink was used because it would eventually fade from the sunlight.)
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2. An internal foot pump system was initially used. You are looking "inside" the back cockpit, towards the front. Water is pumped out by foot through the tubes, out a brass grommet glued into the outer hull. This system was prone to fail from debris plugging the lines and was removed for the race.
4. A fancy circle of veneer edging was added to the compass ring, courtesy of Constantines. (Note that a similar edging was put on the edge of the cockpit rims.) Thank you to Ritchie Navigation for the F-50-K deck compass, seen in the center of the ring. One can never have too many clamps!
6. The world's most beautiful compass to guide the Double Helix on her voyage.
8. The center deck of the Double Helix showing the compass positioned between the rose vines. The navigation console was added after this picture to the front right of the rear cockpit.
10. Close up of forward hatch and seal. The risers on the hatch were made from Purple Heart, Green Heart and Yellow Heart woods. Flush deck fittings made from oak can bee seen with red webbing threaded through them. The red webbing would stretch over the hatch to maintain a tight seal.
12. Nobel Laureate Dr. James Watson signing the Double Helix at Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory, NY.
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13. Just to recap...
(L-R) Clark Eid, Phil Melhorn, Jan White, George Karageorge, Omar Lopez, Jeff Romine, William Schmitz, Christine Hendricks, Eric Marshall, and Kurt Zimmermann at Bristol-Myers Squibb in Wallingford, CT
Ready for action, the Double Helix waits on still waters mirroring the evening sky.