Work Log Since August

While at the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, I was in search for a boat guy to come out and give me a hand and help organize and focus me and do some of the intimidating tasks. After a number of talks with boat people, Paul Rollins name came up from York, ME. I knew of him, I met him years ago onboard the newly launched schooner Tall Cotton that he built, it resonated. He came out in September and worked 3 days.

We ended up doing the following:

We removed the engine.
Rudder - needed to dig a nice hole underneath. This is the second time I have done this in my life!!
Deadwood is gone.
Cockpit frame is gone.
Most of the bungs are drilled out.
Ripped off the lower most planking to view the hole keel timber.
Milled up and stickered a 33' white oak tree I cut down on the back of the property. Though not sufficient in width for the keel timber, it will make many fine parts like floor timbers, deck beams and firewood (just checking to see if you are reading?).
And we nearly had the cabin removed but the Fein Multimaster dulled it's last blade.

Since Paul's visit I took a little break. I started back at it last weekend and this Thanksgiving long weekend.

I managed to make some new parts -- some laminated ribs for her. I had a goal to get some new parts in in 2011, her 50th year as a vessel. I think I will do it!!

I built a nice work table a few weekends ago: 8' x 12' with two layers of 3/4" plywood that will handle the stress of laminating the frames and the stem. I have 3 of them in various forms of layups.

#47 - is the aft most one. I have one side finished with the other side drying. I will than need to shape to fit. This one has 12 layers of 5/32" douglas fir strips with 7 layers of glass and two layers of Kevlar between. I ended up doing them in 3 steps with one failed attempted to put the 20 degree bevel into them to save from cutting and shaping after. Didn't work.

#46 and #45 are layed up on the table with the soldiers. #45-one side is complete and drying as I did it in one step, the prefered method at least with these shorter ones. As they get longer, and the weather gets warmer, they may have to go in a couple of steps. #46 has a couple steps for one side and a complete one for the port side.

A few lessons:

It is harder to add strips to the inside of a curve, especially with glass and multiple layers. The glass wants to snag the end of the existing curved layup.

Using a screw in a hole to line up and hold one edge of the strips does not work if you have kevlar as one of the layers between the strips. It gathers into a nice ball around the screw. A nail with blocks and a clamp works best. Remove nail before epoxy sets up.

An electric blanket over the ribs while they dry in the cold over night saves heating the whole garage.

One inch, $1 vinyl brushes from WalMart, work the best to apply epoxy to strips and wetout the glass tape. Cut off half the bristles to make it stiffer.

Work fast and clean and change gloves a few times.


There are a total of 47 ribs in this boat. The first 7 I believe will be fine. By leaving these, it will give the boat the looks of it's traditional or original 1951 character. The ones to get laminated will actually all be hidden by the ceilings.

As the white oak original steam bent frames failed from too tight a bilge and tight seamed construction, laminating the frames will be an improvement. Adding kevlar and glass will jump it up a notch, in my opinion. One advantage is that it will be tough to starve the joint of epoxy with the spacer of glass and kevlar present. Also, on the old frames, where they broke, was also at a fastener. The glass and kevlar will limit this tendency. If I go for riveting, it would limit it even more by having a smaller diameter hole?? So many choices, so much time. If I stay focused, I could have all the ribs finished by the end of next year? That is if I don't decide to tackle the floors and deck as a section - like from the forward part of the cockpit aft?

All for now. I will try to find new pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving.