Back to work

With the Seaport Festival over, it is time to return to the ongoing boat projects.  The largest among the projects is, of course, the Beetle replica whaleboat.   Newt has been working on it almost single handedly for the past weeks, but now that the Festival work is behind us, he is getting more volunteer assistance.  The very laborious task of cutting and fitting the ceiling is the major work at this time.  Since the ceiling goes from above the waterline down to the keel, for nearly the entire length of the boat, it is very much like building another hull -- only inside out!  Each ceiling plank must be spiled, cut, fitted, back painted, and fastened. It is slow but important work.

Newt and Rashid clamp a scarphed plank section in the bow.

The halfway point in ceiling planking. Clamps hold a glued scarph joint.

Knots provide a foothold for rot in a board.  Therefore, before fastening each plank, all knots are drilled out and plugged with cedar bungs, glued in place with epoxy glue.  After the glue dries, the plank may be painted and fitted.

The next  ceiling plank, knots drilled and bunged, ready for fitting.

 Repair work on the bottom of the Lightning Flying Jib II is done.  A fresh couple of coats of bottom paint has been applied, and it is time to turn attention to the repairs needed on the inside.  The most critical is the refastening of most of the floors amidships, which were mortised into the centerboard case.  Over the years, the tenons have begun to rot, and the connection of the floors to the case has been weakened.  Bronze angle brackets will be bolted to each floor and securely screwed to the case as an alternative to the more complex and much more costly job of removing and replacing all the floors.  

The first step, though, was flipping the boat.  This was accomplished more or less painlessly, with a gantry, a bunch of volunteers and staff, and, most important of all, Jeff.

Gantry in place, ready to go.

Off the horses, she starts her journey.

Passing the halfway point.

And down.  Back on the horses again.

OK, let's get started on the inside work.

Rashid has the Bevins skiff back in the shop for some finish work that wasn't completed before she went into the water for the Seaport Festival.  Some rough spots got filled, sanded, and are awaiting another coat of paint.  Also, a few minor leaking spots along the chines have been repaired, so she should be very dry now.

Filled and sanded, waiting for paint.

The new school year has begun for the kids from CHAD and Urban Promise.  They have their first assignment at WoW:  making a perfect  4" cube from wood. They may use power tools to form the initial shape, but must do the final entirely with hand tools.  The project introduces them to a range of woodworking skills important in boatbuilding, not the least of which is precision.

Glued up cubes-to-be await their next step.