: You are the Canadian version of Mark Twain! He happens to be my
: favorite author, so take it as a high compliment. My middle name
: happens to be Mark. I grew up in the Mississippi Delta where my
: grandfather built and raced boats on the Mississippi River. I
: wish he were alive to hear both your story and Etienne's poem.

: Well it sounds quite far-fetched, but there is some truth here. The
: sap does rise and fall in trees and it has long been said you
: should fell trees on a waning moon. In Caricou they build wood
: boats by hand and they fell the trees just after full moon.
: http://www.tradition-sailing.com/carriacou-sloops.html I have
: seen these boats and they sail amazingly and are very seaworthy.
: If he built his boat using lapstrake construction, lapped each
: strake appropriately, and clenched it tightly, he could build a
: boat without glue. Not all lapstrake boats are glued. Also if he
: used carvel planking he could achieve the same goal but I am
: sure the caulking required in carvel planking would be
: considered sealing the hull and would negate the man's story.
: With either construction, however, what really seals the boat is
: when the hull is wetted the wood swells. Any would-be leaks are
: basically self-sealing as the wood swells up when wet and fills
: the leak. I think actually what the man's father did was fell
: the trees when they had LESS sap. Trees with less sap are
: lighter, and they also have more absorption and thus will swell
: more when wet. However the downside is they are less rot
: resistant and bug resistant so who knows- it could go either
: way!

: That said, I have a friend who is quite a gardener and she swears
: that you should plant at full moon. She will be out at midnight
: planting her garden. I have to say, you can't argue with the
: results she gets. Finest garden around!

- faith 'tis nought to do with t'Moon, 'tis the taim of t'year. Everyone know the best time is early April. Very early . . .