out of the shed...

[Rupert]

All I plan to do this winter is take the centreboard bolt out from Saskia, as it leaks. And that is pretty much it. BUT, once removed, I have a feeling I am going to find rot behind the brass plates, so they will have to come off. I'll then have to replace the wood under them. If I take that off, I may find the rot has spread to the plate case...

...I am delaying taking the bolt out!

[Michael Brigg]

Well coming back to Rock elm, and googling about the place it looks like all the remaining stock bar the odd isolated specimens have been converted into 2x4's for house construction, as result of some rather confusing protectionism and counter productive trade war in the lumber industry between Canada and the USA.

Seems to me that Cadaveric transplant or cannibalism is likely to be the only realistic option.

I would think the only viable source will be to find a boat breaker with a reclaimed piece of appropriate size. Could be tricky. Google or something similar serving the trade might help. Looks like Bangladesh is the centre of the reclaim market in this field.

Otherwise maybe some boatyard somewhere in the country has some lurking. Maybe there is an old mud bound hulk somewhere waiting to give up its transom.

As the age of the boat suggests Glue isn't the main fixing method, is it viable to fashion a transom from an alternative and use that until the right stuff might come long?

[neil]

Only about 80 ribs to go, and a few feet of planking to replace. At this rate Zenith will be ready for her 80th birthday in 2 years time.

[solentgal]

Only just seen this thread, and by coincidence I started work on Europa Moth K2588 yesterday (pic below)......the plan is to strip all the paint and at least some of the varnish on the hull, and strip the mast before winter takes a grip, possibly do some small repairs, and then wait for the warmer weather to finish off.......not a full scale resto at all, but may be of interest David?

[JimC]

I don't know whether it will get done, seeing as I also have to refurbish the entire first floor of the house, but there's some lumps of cedar and a few bits of plywood in my Mother's garage as a kit of parts for putting a new bottom on the not a Skol Moth...

[davidh]

Sami,

Thank you very much for the shot and the continued 'input' - it goes to strengthen the argument that the work that is going on covers a wide spectrum - from those whose work will be little more than a quick touch up with a varnish brush to the task facing Chris B with his 14. I was talking to him yesterday and it became clear that in many cases the remains would be treated as scrap but 'Blue Peter', with its Holt connections, has that special bit of provenance that makes saving it worthwhile.

I don't know yet what the viewpoint from Classic Boat will be - one would have thought (hoped even) that there would be interest in what work is being completed during the winter months. Everything that has been mentioned on her so far is worthy of reporting - from Jim with his Skol/Not Skol to the Europa to Roger and the Demon Hornet, they are good stories all and when added together, ought to make for interesting reading.

We shall see!

D

[alan williams]

If I'm going to have plenty of time on my hands the Dolphin may have some work done on her. One side has had all the original "steel screws" replaced. Just the 4 planks and a patch in the fore deck plus replacing all the starboard side screws to do. Then I may start to seriously lighten the hull minium weight for an American One Design which the Plymouth Dolphin is, is 450lbs. Plymouth Dolphins weigh in at anything between 550lbs and 750 lbs depending on what they were built out of. This ones built out of white pine and was redecked relatively recently with ply. However she still has to have the 80lbs stainless steel centreplate and the mild steel rudder (about 20lbs) so trying to get weight off may be difficult. She has been drying out in my garage for at least 5 years so I'm thinking of Westing and inserting soft wood strip into the seams ( hard chine carval planked.)!! Is this a good idea? Completion date is some time the future. The Shed may also have its bottom faired again.
Cheers Al

[solentgal]

David....That is encouraging I will borrow Lynne's phone/camera as it is better than mine, and try and keep a simple photo record just in case they may be of use.

Just stopped for lunch, second side mostly stripped and has raised some interesting questions as to how the bottom panel was replaced and why.....more on a separate thread later.

[Pat]

Too much to do and it won't all get done this winter but the to-do list as I remember it is:
Clear the "tent" and turn fat boat over and see what lurks below - may be leak to fix.
At least 3 boats to spray paint and varnish.
Trailers and trolleys regeneration work to be done.
Top covers for a couple and at least two cocoon travelling covers to make plus mast bags and rudder bags.
New deck for half cut and a dagger board for the zoom.
Another Laser "nose job" and renovation
Loads of boats to generally sort out and ensure fully kitted.
Sell two Larks, Zoom and Albacore.
Pick up 40 from Mike and complete
Continue camper van fit out
Build house extension
And keep working full time to pay for it all!

[davidh]

Pat.....Nooooooooooooooooooo; Sandy can live out in the shed for another winter! How cool would it be to be able to take LOG along to Blithfield where she'll be in such great company.

Meanwhile...hate to say it BUT............ I might not be in a Merlin anyway!

Watch this space for more on 'wot I'm restoring this winter'!!

D

[Pat]

And just to compound the list - whilst I was at work typing that, Sandy was finding the rotten transom knee in the new Albacore. What looks like fibreboard inside the fibreglass is soggy rotten so another job to do. And that boat's just 10 years old!

[davidh]

Neil...what's the story behind IC26? She looks amazing, as well as the big birthday milestone coming up are there other 'key dates' associated with the boat?

Cheers

D

[JimC]

Neil...what's the story behind IC26?

Pre war Swedish built I believe.

[neil]

Zenith is a Swedish B Class Sailing Canoe, Designed by Sven Thorell and is a sistership to 'Sol' one of his best known boats. Sol was yawl rigged. Zenith was built in 1935 by Nunn Bros but with a bermudan rig - this necessitated a mast stump to be fitted with a slot in it for the centreboard horn to go through. At a later date the plate was redesigned to make the mast stump redundant (I have a pic of her in 1953 showing the stump).

I can't remember the name of the original owner but it's on a certificate somewhere. She was bought by Barry Bucknell after the war from the IoW and he sailed her back to Hayling Island with his wife (I spoke to her a few years ago after emailing her son). At some point, presumably before WW2, she was grandfathered into the International Canoe class to boost the fleet numbers, hence the K26 number. Obviously no sliding seat but nice wide side decks.

I found out about her a number of years ago when I bought Rannoch from Loch Lomand. Zenith had been found in a field by Andrew Eastwood and he knew what she was. Most of the ribs were broken and there's two holes in the hull and she was sodden, the holes has been patched over - we think she had been dropped onto a trailer, and an old chap had been using her until he got too old to launch. But, being built from Honduras and Oak there is no rot in her. Andrew rescued her and offered her to me for free when I bought Rannoch.

The ply decks were shot, but she came with the original mast, boom, plate, rudder and a tatty mainsail.

She was drying out in my old boatshed for about 7 years when I moved her into the workshop and realised that she was in better condition than I had first thought. The drying out period allowed the 1/4"-1/2" of paint, gunk, red lead etc to lift off revealing sound timber. I discovered only a 100 or so ribs were broken, thought originally they had all gone.

Managed to get some 1950s Honduras to fix the damage to hull, and tracked down 3/4" x 16g copper nails. The ribs are so small the nail ends are just bent over. On a good evening I can get 3 ribs steamed and fixed.

As with all things it's down to time, but I'm hoping to get a load of ribs done over Christmas.

[davidh]

Neil...NOW I remember the connection (age related brain fade I'm afraid!)

This time last year I was doing a lot of work with the Bucknall family as part of my preparations for the 50th Anniversary of the Mirror! Barry was a real live wire and far more of an accomplished dinghy racer than the books give him credit for. His background was racing Merlins at Ranelagh with Jack Holt......another possible canoe connection there too!

I just wish I could have made that connection earlier........ but thank you.

There might just be a picture of Barry sailing the boat, now that would be a find!

D