BYSNOWYDHBOATWORKS, DECEMBER 31, 2017
The original deadwood assembly, September 2017
The same assembly on removal – December 2017
Frame #4, renewed. Interior faces not faired yet but I’m getting to it, honest – December 2017
Since Rosalind arriving in August there have been all sorts of things that needed doing – interior and deck demolition (working on a video on that, stay tuned), ballast and engine removal, shed building, untwisting her severely twisted centreline without breaking anything (some rebar, a 20 ton jack, a 10 ft pine 4×10, an electric winch, some ¼” dyneema, and a suitable anxiety level. Unfortunately I didn’t video this, was too busy doing it!), and so forth. All of that is pretty well in hand now, and I replaced frame #4 (numbering from the stem, aft) so that I could brace it across and safely remove the foredeck, and the port side of frame #11 because… well because it wasn’t there, and it’s also pretty much where a jackstand needs to be so I was a bit anxious about it!
New 1st 2nd and 3rd deadwoods, temporarily fastened to the original centreline and permanently fastened to each other – December 2017
What was left of the original inner sternpost after vacuuming out the top of it, laid on the only slightly oversized stock for the new. …You may notice a slight disparity. December 2017
Layout and first cut – December 2017
Rough cutting – December 2017
Tapered rolling bevels taking shape – December 2017
But that’s all done, so I’ve moved aft to rebuild the stern in its entirety. I’ve settled on this as my next project because I want to ensure that the centreline twist I corrected remains corrected. Best way to do that is to frame her out as quickly as possible in the new/original orientation, to lock it all in. She’s fine lined down low at the stern, so the aftmost 7 frames foot to the deadwood assembly – an assembly which after much thought I have decided to replace. The deadwoods were some of the best preserved parts of the boat, being salt-submerged, diesel pickled elm – but not only would completely removing all of the corroded ferrous metal and iron sickness from them be a huge undertaking, but also I have to look at the long term. I’m unlikely to be in a position to so readily replace them as I am now, for a very long time! I’ve now replaced 3 of 4 with donated live oak (thank you, you know who you are!) – and the 4th and the stern knee are in hand. I also have a piece on the go for the new inner sternpost, which foots to the top of the 3rd deadwood. I’m trenailing and drifting the assembly together as I go – only temporary lags into the keel and outer sternpost, the idea being that ultimately when it comes to be keel time the whole thing will hang together, and then get through bolted down through the new keel. And once the whole assembly is together, back to framing!
Happy new year from the boatworks, and a big thank-you to the West Mystic Wooden Boat Company and the Mystic Nautical Heritage Society, without whose hospitality none of this could happen. I promise to be better about photo and video in the new year!