Log rafting 2016

[Quebecnewf]

Weather forecast was good and tides were ok but a little late in the day so we went for our first raft of logs that we had cut and stacked by the shoreline last winter

We went ashore with the small zodiac but we had to wait for the tide to come in. We rolled a few down while we were waiting but decided to wait until the water came in . Too many with no water results in a big pile that you have to pick apart .

Once the tide comes in it comes in fast. Wife dumping them in the water and me hitching as fast as I can

Gathering and hitching up the last few. Light fading fast.
Went out to the channel and got the big boat. Came in and hooked on around 8:30. No wind at all and a nice quiet night. Got to the mooring at the mill just after midnight.

Quick bite to eat then a quick wash and in the bunk for a good nights sleep.


Early morning and on the mooring at the mill. Logs ready to be put ashore.


All ashore 170 total for this tow. Scattered about but this is better than being all packed up neat. For sure if you have a pile the logs you need to saw first are on the bottom. 230 more left for the next tow. Tides will be right again on the end of the month. Hope the weather is as nice as this trip.

Quebecnewf

[tnaz]

Quebecnewf, thanks for sharing.  I have really enjoyed following these threads, and great pictures too.

Tnaz

[OffGrid973]

Really neat, that is a huge effort to pull off without a hiccup.

[red]

Excellent !

[Bruno of NH]

You work hard :)
Nice job

[sprucebunny]

Thanks for the pictures  8) 8) I really enjoy your adventures.

[Peter Drouin]

That is a hand full. 8)

[cutterboy]

Great pictures. Thanks.
Quebecnewf, when you tow at night is it pitch black, or is there enough light to see where you are going?

[Quebecnewf]

No pitch black. Some nights with a moon you can see a bit. All radar and GPS navigation. It's like flying a plane on IFR. You won,t crash ,but you could run ashore.
Quebecnewf

[thecfarm]

I always enjoy the way you log.

[fishpharmer]

Really neat to see your logging methods!

[sealark37]

Thanks for posting.  Your pictures are always great.  Do you sell lumber to the end users or do you sell wholesale?  Regards, Clark

[4x4American]

Meanwhile, in Canada...

good work, looks similar to what I'd call fun!

[fishfighter]

Outstanding.

How you pulling your logs into the mill house?

[Czech_Made]

Thanks for sharing.

[Quebecnewf]

We use the atv and the skidding arch to pull up from the shoreline and spread them around on the rock near the mill. Then as we need we haul them over to the mill shed and roll them on the rack. Open the 14' door and roll them onto the mill and saw. 16' logs get hauled in through the end hatch onto the mill , sawed and pulled out through the other end. I saw very few 16' logs and those that I do saw are mostly 6x6x16.

Quebecnewf

[Czech_Made]

I dug out some old pictures from log rafting on Vltava river, around 1900 I believe.  The word is that rafting the wood improved quality.  Rafts could be up to 150 meters long, hard and dangerous work.

[tnaz]

Man, cool pictures. 8)

[isawlogs]

  Thanks for posting the pics, as always, great pics!    Merçi!

[Magicman]

Thank You Quebecnewf for remembering to take us along on this log rafting trip and I look forward to seeing your second load.   8)

[plowboyswr]

 :P

[Quebecnewf]

Tides will answer again on the 30th of this month. Plan to go get the other 230 then. Tides will be a little higher this time and a little earlier in the day so that should be better. The big question of course is the wind. We need calm for this type of show.
Quebecnewf

[Czech_Made]

What do you use to tie logs together?

[Carson-saws]

VERY impressive indeed!.  Talk about doing this the old fashioned way.   Your skill and knowledge level is pretty much "off the charts"  Looks like your mission was accomplished and you had fun doing it. 

[Quebecnewf]

 We use rope to tie them together. I have a few buddies who are crab fishermen. They go through a lot of rope. Once it gets chaffed a bit they take it of and replace it with new. They give me the old. It is more than strong enough for my needs. I have a 1 1/4" piece of braided nylon for my main line. The logs are tied in racks of 20 then hitched to the main line one rack behind the other.

The braided line came from a tow rope used by the Canadian navy to tow targets behind their warships for gunnery practice. Bought that at a good price from a friend in NFLD many years ago. Got a good price on it. Sold half and kept the rest for myself.

Quebecnewf

[Quebecnewf]

Log rafting 2nd trip rolling them Downwhile waiting for the tide. Tide was real low so we had to walk ashore from the zodiac.


Tide comes in fast and we hitched them up fast . Too busy to take pics until we were finished.


Pulled them out to the big boat with the zodiac and waited for the tide to turn.left for the mill at 7:30 pm . Very black night , thick fog as well but no wind. Got to the mooring by the mill at 10:30 pm.

Next day and were scuffing them ashore. Skidding arch was broken so we had to use the front half of a bobsleigh. Not the best rig but we had to get her done.



All home and scattered about. Logging season 2015/2016 over. Just the sawing left to do.

Quebecnewf

[tnaz]

Sounded like another fine adventure.  Again, thanks for sharing and posting the pictures. 8)

ttnaz

[4x4American]

Looks like spring is finally there up nort, eh? 


Seriously, looks like heaven to me.

[samandothers]

Enjoy your posts of the log rafts.  Thanks

[Magicman]

It's mind boggling to me.  Thanks again for taking us alone.

[petefrom bearswamp]

Do you harvest these logs from an island or from the mainland?
Are they Spruce or Fir.
How long does it take to harvest these logs?
Looks to be time consuming.
great pics and narrative.

[Quebecnewf]

We harvest the trees on the mainland during the winter. We cut fir and spruce 80/20 per cent ratio.
We are very small we were about 3 months cutting 600 logs and hauling them to the shore. We only work this as a hobby.
When it gets to be not fun we give it up for the day and come home
Quebecnewf

[dustintheblood]

Watch out for Relic!!






(sorry old Canadian joke)

[r.man]

Quebecnewf is acting like Nick, and his boat looks a bit like the Persephone.

[sawguy21]

 :D For the initiated they are referring to the Beachcombers, a hilarious tv show from the seventies based on a couple of salvage operators on the BC coast.
I too really enjoy the accounts and pictures from your neck of the woods, you certainly are creative out of necessity. Thanks for sharing.

[ppine]

Log rafts are still common in the Pacific Northwest.  I knew a guy that lived on the north end of Vancouver Island for two years. He built a house out of logs that washed up on the beach, mostly rafts that broke up in bad weather.  He said if he was patient, he could find plywood and all sorts of other building materials.

[sawguy21]

Log rafts are still common in the Pacific Northwest.  I knew a guy that lived on the north end of Vancouver Island for two years. He built a house out of logs that washed up on the beach, mostly rafts that broke up in bad weather. He said if he was patient, he could find plywood and all sorts of other building materials.

[Quebecnewf]

Another looming problem . Slab pile is getting rather large. With the last few winters being pretty good for getting firewood there is very little interest in using slabs for firewood. I burn as many as I can in my furnace and give lots to my mom for hers but the pile is getting out of hand. I just hate to make a bonfire out of them but that might be the way they have to go


Quebecnewf

[fishfighter]

I think you going to need to move that pile before firing it up. ;D I have to do the same. Can't give away slabs around here. :(

[Kbeitz]

If you cut them they sell better...



 

[cbla]

awesome