Garboard Plank Steamed and Placed on Tug Delaware

Once the piece of yellow pine comes out of the steamer, the boatyard crew has less than two minutes to get it properly into place.

Too much fun, not enough blogging!

Ok, so its been a while. I'm sorry. We have been doing some of our favorite work though......Demo. Planks are off, knowing we needed some new planks and floors. What didn't we know? That there was a giant check through the keel and all the frame ends we couldn't see are toast. Lets tackle the section of keel first...

First we mark out the area to be cut out. In this case, the top of keel to the middle line (back rabbet) for a run of about 7 feet. Mark that carefully and then make kerf cuts the whole length. Don't go to far down or you will be bummin'

Make angle cuts next for the new piece to go in. I didn't do a crazy 12 to 1 because i wanted maximum amount of material out and the way were installing the new piece, i don't think we lose integrity. 

Other end of removed section with the exact same scarf.

Here is a view looking aft showing all the piece removed. Also a good view of all the frame ends in the way of fitting the new piece in there. Let the challenge begin!!!!!!

First, mill up a tasty piece of white oak

Here we have the timber upside down. the bottom face of the new piece is the new middle line of the rabbet. (sort of confusing, don't worry, we cried a lot during the figuring out part too.) We are laying out the bevel taken off the old keel to the rolling frame angles down the length of the new piece.

Next, those angles are chopped at every frame station on the keel piece.

If we know the angle of the rabbet at each frame, then we also know the angle of the frame ends coming into the sockets. They are the same. This allows the garboard plank to lie flat in the rabbet and on all the frames.

Using a sample piece of frame end we milled, we can chop out the sockets and check angle and depth so they fit (almost) perfect.

This is what it looks like when all rabbet and socket sections are cut at each frame the whole length. We then have to do the other side in mirror image.

After we have run out of Grateful Dead and bluegrass cds, the sockets are done. We can at this point run a batten  from station to station to mark for the full length rabbet. Here we see ken having marked the rabbet, and power planing the rabbet.

The moment of truth....it fits fairly well and needs some tuning but  not too shabby. Next time we'll be cutting and installing new frame ends before we final fasten this keel piece with 5200 and some good old fashion drift pins.

Special Visitors to the Museum to see Rosie

The Museum was pleased to welcome the Blind Industries and Services of Maryland to the Museum last week, where they felt the transom on Rosie, and listened as project manager Marc Barto spoke about the restoration project.

Later on in the week, we also received a visit from Sharon and Rob Weber. Sharon is the granddaughter of Captain Orville Parks (who donated Rosie to the Museum in 1975).

Taking a turn at the wheel.

The group feels the new transom on Rosie.

Captain Orville Park's granddaughter Sharon Weber and her husband Rob Weber stopped by for the day to work on the boat that her grandfather sailed and her great uncle built.

Painting the wood isn't the most fun of jobs, but all hands on deck are needed during this three-year restoration.

Photo taken from the bow of the boat.

Rosie's Chine Log Revealed

Marc Barto sawing lower plank, port side, to reveal Rosie's original chine log.

Marc carefully sawing to preserve original chine log.

Marc Barto and volunteer Cliff Stretmater removing lower plank to expose original chine log

Original chine log exposed near transom, port side. Note the sweep upward at the transom.

Lower plank completely removed. Chine log will be removed next intact and used as a pattern for new chine log to be fabricated.