Daniel,
Your knee braces (as we call them here) look great. Are they intended to be structural for lateral bracing, to help support the beam, or some other reason?
Great place for the swallows to build nests, by the way.
It did cross my mind while discussing snow loads that WIND loads are a big deal here as well. So inspectors look closely at shear wall bracing. In your metal clad buildings, I guess that is accomplished by the connection of the sheets of sheathing/siding? The knee braces certainly help, but I don't think an inspector in Massachusetts would rely too much on them, especially if they are only nailed top and bottom. Same holds for any benefit to supporting the beam - definitely gonna help, but the inspectors may not give you extra points for putting them in without an engineer stamp on the design and connections.
What has been your experience with inspectors regarding this? It may be worth asking them about all of this. Maybe these are another item that you don't need to pay for and climb a ladder to install?
I'm very interested in knowing how you make out on Friday, and any discussions you have with your inspector.
Taking a boat ride to town really sounds like the life!
Do you just skate across the ice in the winter?
Paul