Mast partner

I fought with the splash boards all morning.  At first I thought I would make new ones but when they herd that they started to fit a lot better.   I shaved the lip down to deck level where you sit.  originally there was about a 1/2 inch lip that just wanted to bite the back of you leg.  I think I pulled it off tastefully without destroying the character of the boat.  I rounded off the remainder.   I'll pull the point together when I make a breast plate to cover up the gap and finish off the lines.

I also cut the mast partner hole and restored the mast partner apron.   I put the floorboards in just to see how they fit.  They are in remarkable condition.  Just needs cleaning up.

Splash boards

When you find a boat like this, you usually don't get the original splash boards.  They  broke off and were ditched years ago.  This boat was just about fully found.  The old splash boards are worn and cracked but I'm going to reuse them.  I'm not going to install them as Fran did.  That must have caused some stiff legs back in the day as the boards came all the way down the cockpit and terminated at the aft deck.  They were also held proud of the deck by about 1/2 inch.  Hiking out with those digging into the back of your legs must have been quite painful!.

 I'm going to terminate them short of the aft deck and make them flush with the inner rail.

Looks good

Didn't have much time to work today but I did get the excess wood on the  decks trimmed..  Really starting to look like a Moth.

Main decks glued on

I got both decks glued on the boat.  The fit was critical as there was only 1/4 of an inch left for the overhang at the mid section of the boat.   The chink of metal is holding down the deck at that point.  Nails didn't want to work.  I had to use C clamps for one side as I cut the lip too big to fit the spring clamps.

Main decks

I got the main decks rough cut.  It's slow going with just one worker...  The file on the aft deck is my second most favorite tool.  It's a rasp and file in one.  George A gave that to me for an Xmas present.  I thank him every time I use it.

Fwd deck

I got the fwd deck on with the help of my son, Shane.  It went on better that I had anticipated.  At first I thought I could use one complete piece of ply.  That didn't work because of the compound bend in the deck.  The wood won't bend fwd when its bending on a curve...  I cut it down the middle then matched up the grain of the wood from the two slices.  I used nails on the shear and the deck.  Looks good.   Definitely has that scow look.

                                                                Shane

                                                                Yours truly

Before and after

I flipped the boat over and started prep for the decks.  I wanted to present a uniform color inside the boat so I stained it dark mahogany.  I then put a coat of urethane on top.   Not doing varnish anymore.

 

Bottom's done

I finished up sanding and fitting the last panel.  I trimmed and belt sanded all along the bottom. I also made the little filler wedge that connects the bottom to the fwd bow section.  I'll fair that when he glue dries.

Next up the deck...

Bottom's on

I finished up with the bottom.  The last bow sections went on with no complications.  I did get to use one of my most favorite tools in prepping the side that was done.  My BELT SANDER!!  I love that tool.  Makes short work of excess wood.  My other favorite hand tool is the hand rasp.

 Note the upside down V.  I'll have to make a filler to finish up the V for the bottom.  You can see where the filler goes.

 

Fwd bow section

I got one on.  It went better that expected.  Applying the plywood on the vertical made it bend quite nicely.  Tomorrow the other side.  Note the overlap at the keel.  The bottom at this point rests on the prow.   There will be a filler piece right behind that section to fill in the V completing the bottom.

Fwd section

I fitted the fwd section to the boat.  Usually I make up a full length section around 12 foot long and then just hang that on the bottom and fit the entire bottom one half at a time.  That works for the modern boats and the flat bottom boats like the Ventnor.  This bottom requires 3 sections.  I form fitted the bottom yesterday and today I did the next two feet.  This worked out well because I'm working in a tight space and it just seamed to be the way to do it.  I did bend up a chunk of the 4 mil for the bow section and it does bend on the vertical.  That section will probably be later this week.   Note the little bronze screws.  They make great clamps.  I'll take them out when the glue dries and fill the holes with goop.  This bottom is going to be painted so holes don't matter.

It's later in the day and I got both bottom panels on.  The boat has a very much more pronounced V that I originally thought.  Hard to tell from just the frame.

Bottom fitted

I spent most of the my working time today fitting the bottom.  Took me about an hour.  I had to shave the inside section(next to the keel) with a rasp.  That got me sweating...  I'm going to do this in 3 chunks.  The big bottom which is in the pix, then a 2 foot section fwd of this, then the bow 1 foot section.  My guess it will take me the entire week to get this done.    After the bottom is done, I'll fair the keel to the bottom then run a layer of 4 oz glass down the entire bottom center section.

More surprises

I got over to CLC today and picked up 2 4 mil ocume panels for the bottom of the boat.  I figured I'd cut one in half   Then use the other one to scarf a 4 foot section to cover the entire bottom.   I described the process for the small section in the last blog.

Well, that's out the window now. I put the cut 2x8 foot panel on the bottom just to see what it looked like.  I moved it to the bow to see if it would bend to the contour of the bow.  NO SUCH LUCK!!!  I started then to look closely at the old bottom and discovered that it was a 3 mil section applied vertically.  If you look close a the pix you can see the vertical grain...  I think now I'll do the same.  I have some 3 mil left over from the Cates.  More to follow as I study it in more detail.

Bow block

I made a decision that the bottom gets skinned first.  In order for the bottom to fit it has to fit into a grove in the  keel.  I'll fit the bottom by laying the panel on the bottom and then scribing a line from the bow to the stern from inside the boat.  Without the deck on I can do that fairly easy.   As I was trying to visualize this I removed the remaining two small bow bottom sections from the boat.  I immediately saw a problem with my method for applying the bottom.     Picture the keel (boat upside down) with the groves on either side for the bottom panel.  As the keel goes fwd to the bow the keel gets narrower and eventually comes to a V and bends up to the prow (like a cates)  The two bottom panels are still separated by the notch and they never come together (think parallel lines)  Something had to cover that last foot or so where the bow curve comes in and the two bottom panels have to meet.  That's where the bow section came in. The bottom at the bow was butted to the fwd bottom panel at that intersection.  That panel then butts up against the rest of the bottom at that fwd junction...    

 Notice the difference in height from the bottom to where it makes the transition to the bow.

 The bow section goes all the way to the tip.  The bottom panel stop about an inch short and you see the keel when the bottom is in place.

 Bottom grove on the keel.

Frames are done

I got the last framing part done.  The inner rails and the mast partner.  I used the original partner.  It had some rot at the bow but after I glued on the inner bow blocks I could cut off the rot and save the wood.   99% of this boat is original so far. Notice that I took the old bottom off.  It's interesting to note that the bottom panel  I removed was a 10 foot length of ply.  The reaming foot of bottom ply is still on the boat.  The joint is at the bow section.  All we have these days is 8 foot sections so I'll be joining two to make a 12 foot panel section. Those skins are next.

CB trunk

I got all the frames back in the boat.  You can see all the new ones on the port side.  I'll probably stain them to match the rest of the wood.  The CB trunk is back in the boat.  I used thickened epoxy for this job.  I had gaps to cover.  The case aligned it self nicely with the old screw stumps that remained in the boat.  The old screws had to stay because they are covered up from the bottom by the strip covering up the keel.

Turning block support

Things never move as fast as you want them to.  I thought I'd get all the bottom frames and the seat supports glued in today.  I got about half of it done.  I did get the fwd deck supports in, which also add structure for supporting the mast.  I got the bottom frames in with the exception of one.  While installing that one it broke.  Glad it did that now.  I'll make a new one tomorrow.  I did make a support pad that will hold the sheet block.  It's going to be mounted on the CB case.

St. Pat's day

It was a beautiful day in Baltimore.  We went there to watch the 5k run and the St Patrick's day parade.  After the parade we went to the Gin Mill for dinner.  That's a nice pub in Fells Point right across the water from the working port in Baltimore.  Good day had by all.

                                                  That's Shane right center.

                                                                       Kate

                                                Saint Patrick.  Note the blue jeans and dockers under the robe..

                                                          Waiting patiently for dinner.

                                                                     Good dinner!

Frames glued in

Got a lot done today.  I glued in all the frames.  I used titebond II as the glue.  It's less messy that epoxy and it dries just as hard.  All of the screw and nail holes lined up.  After I glued the part I re-installed the original screws.  I also spent some time figuring out where the frame supports go.  There was about one half of them left. All the supports for the port side of the boat were gone.  My guess is because that's the side that took all the damages from years of neglect.    I also dry fit the CB case.  It went in like a glove.

Bow solution

When I got to the front of the boat it opened up a can of worms.  The best solution was to brace the back of the bow section and then laminate the new to the old.  I think a layer of glass will go on the outside when it's all said and done.  I'll do two layers and then a stiffing block across the gap.

Can of worms

Yup, I opened it...  I got to the bow today with the intention of taking off the handle that acts as a lifting handle and the bow chain plate.  I got it off but in doing so I realized that the entire bow section is full of rot and is delaminated.  The fwd deck frames are just as bad.  At some point the boat must have been upside down and bow down.  All the water drained to the fwd section and this is what we have.   Thoughts on repairing this without taking it off are welcome.  I'm tempted to saturate it with resin and clamps then fill in the voids with thickened goop.