Going to be a busy week next week with a many of project getting underway again after a summer lay off.

The following couple of weeks are going to be busy with a number of projects being restarted after a summer lay off and the owners wanting to get their boats back in the water or at least finished off before the weather changes and no work can be do on them.

The weather as turned so the work is on hold for a while.

As the weather as turned for the worse the work on Reveller as come to an end for a while. However if there are a few days of settle weather then we will get on and get a few more planks on and even a coat of paint on the hull and bottom over the coming weeks and months. 

Getting more planks on the bottom of Reveller

Three more planks put on the bottom  so the hole is getting smaller. 

Lots of angles to cut,a but at least the plank lengths are short than a fore and aft planked boat

The planks are going in thick and fast so it is just a matter of keeping up with the supply of wood

 Three short lengths of planking going in

Getting to grips with a poorly done repair to the bottom

This repair to the bottom is a poorly done repair and is very dangerous in that it does not have any strength in it and the first time the boat was put under any stress would fail and the boat would founder.

A photo showing it is not just one plank joint but three planks side by side 

The wood used in the repair was substandard

The extent of the rot is wide spread on the port side

Getting the bilge keel off so can get to the rotten planks

Getting the nuts off the bolts holding the keel on

Some came off , others on the other hand did not and had to be cut off with an angle grinder 

They all came off and the keel did come off the bottom

The keel coming off with the add of a few hardwood wedges

Finally off and ready to put to one side while the planks are replaced

Back to Long Eaton for another week in the rain this time.

Cutting a new scarf joint on another plank ready to fit a new length of plank to the port side

Putting a cover over the boat where I am working on doing the hull repairs, so I can keep working while it is raining as it is forecasted for the rest of the week.

At least I can keep working and the boat will keep dry or at least this part of it will be. 

Working on Reveller is coming on a pace.

End of this week saw the new chine rail made and fitted. So now the new bottom planks have somewhere to fix too.

 The new chine rail in position 

The odd set back in the form of a bit of rot in the bottom part of the aft end of the engine bearer which needs cutting out and replacing with new wood.

This photo is of the first fur planks fitted to the bottom and before the first of the side planking starts to go on.

The new ribs and frames back in position and so the planks have good wood to fix too in the future

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Even more work on Reveller, one step forward and one step back?

At last got round to getting the last of the main part of the hull paint burn off the hull.

With the main part of the hull done the area between the rubbing stakes can get cleaned off and then the hull can get painted up to protect over the next few months.

Like with all projects on older wooden boats that have at some point neglected, there are hidden away in places pockets of rot. this is a prime one, in the bilge of this boat. The planking ribs and engine bearer.

The rot was caused by not keeping the bilge clean and dry and also a lack of proper ventilation in the engine compartment and aft cabin.   

This is just one of the main frames of the port side in the area of the aft cabin, the ribs are in a similar condition and will have to be replaced before the new planking can get put back in place. 

A bad area of rot, this is the main bulkhead between the engine compartment and the aft cabin and shows what happens when you seal up a wooden boat without proper ventilation and then use the boat as a liveaboard.