Clenching up rib nails to help with stretched nails

Over a period of time and use of the yacht over many years, the rib nails stretch a little and need a little light Clenching to draw up the plank lands to help reduce if not stop any weeping lands

The main areas are round the engine beds and the centreboard and bilge keels areas as these are subjected to the most stress when sailing or taking the ground. 

The main section to do is the area between the keel to the waterline as this is the area that is working when the yacht is sailing or motoring and when the yacht is grounded either on pursue or by accident. 

Special attention to be taken around the bilge keel area as these have a lot of stress on them when grounding 

This job should be done when the yacht first started to show signs of  leaks not left until major work is needed to be done to cure the problem. 

The shower tray plug now release waxed and the marine plywood for the Decking as just arrived

The plug is now release waxed and is now waiting to have a few more coats of release wax and then will be gelcoated to start to make the shower tray.

The marine plywood for the deck for the finesse as just arrived so it will not be long before this is on the deck beams and glued and screwed down in position.

Front king plank beam now screwed and glued in position and the aft plank beams glued and screwed in position

The king plank is now fixed in position and will strengthen up the deck and support the Samson post from the pressure put on it by the bowsprit and transfer the pressure over a larger area. 

 the king plank ids notched into the deck beams so that the pressure will be spread over a larger area and also will strengthen up the marine plywood deck which is going to go over this area

The same is true of the aft deck which will be strengthen up by having extra deck beams in position over the largearea of unsupported deck as it was before.

Fitting aft deck secondary beams into aft deck space to support plywood deck

Fitting plank deck beams to support new marine plywood deck as area was unsupported before and this way the plywood deck covering will be well supported with the extra deck beams in position

The new plank deck beams have been set into the original deck beams so that the loading on the deck beams will be spread across the whole area and not just on the edges as before

The Hardy 25 custom shower tray getting its first coat of black gelcoat to finish of the plug stage of the shower tray

The custom shower tray is now getting its first coat of black gelcoat so that it can be rubbed down to make the plug to make the shower tray.

A lot of hard work, however the end result will be worth it in the end when the shower tray is fitted in the boat.

Planning off the tops of the noggins to get ready to lay the new deck

All the noggins are now glued and screwed in position and now ready to take the power planner to the excess 

Trestles planks at the right  height for me to work at to do the job

The starboard side getting the treatment first

Just another forty feet to go until I get to the other end

Sone of the major jobs underway this week

The decks on this 45 year old Finesse which is getting a complete re-decking and modifitying the sub deck configation with the area between the planks and the gunwale being filled in to give the marine plywood deck edge a stable edge to fix to and so the deck and the rubbing strake when it is fixed in position will be a non moving joint which in the past as been a source of past leaks. Also a king plank to be fitted between the samsom post and the stem and between the samsom post and the cabin front deck beam to strengthen the deck and to brace the samsom post from pressures on it from the bowspirt and when anchoring.  

The shower tray mould is well underway with a coat of epoxy over the plug which will be sanded back to leave a smooth finish to be able to apply the black gelcoat to finish off the plug, so that it can be used to make the mould for the custom shower tray for this Hardy 25.

Other work on the Hardy 25 as been the replacement of the toilet discharge skin fitting with a new improved model of skin fitting that is able to be grease while it is still together. This is a great improvement on the old design of the same fitting which needed to be stripped down to be serviced. 

Another job as been to set out the instruments in the cockpit and around the Helm position to ensure the instruments can all be used and are easy to opreate whatever the condtions the boat is going to be used in while at sea.

Next wek is going to be another busy week with a lot of work on the Hardy 25 being done and also the decks of the Finesse 24 getting underway and being started to be covered with it's lay of 6mm marine plywood before having it's second layer of 6 mm marine plywood fitted later in the week.

The deck beams are now all cleaned off of the old glue and bits of plywood

The fore deck beams are now cleaned off of all the old glue and bit of old plywood, however before the new deck goes back on the owner wishes to fit a plank plank between the breast hook and the front of the cabin to support the Samson post and the pressure put on it by the lateral support of the bowsprit.   

The side decks now cleaned off and now ready to fill in the gaps between the sheer plank and gunwale

The aft deck beam in need of a bit of work to get it in to position that it will be usable or need for it to be replaced.  

the staging is around the boat so the work can start on the decks

The staging is round the boat at the correct height to work on the deck

The first major job is going to be cleaning the deck beams of all the old glue and bits of old deck left behind when it was removed 

This is going to take a while as there are a lot of areas that need repairing before the new deck is fitted and also areas where the deck beams do not line  up with other deck beams making the deck laid un-evening, especially on the after deck and the fore deck.

work progressing on the Hardy 25's shower tray moulding and the Finesse centreboard bolt removal

The Hardy 25's shower tray plug mould is now constructed and now it is being filled and faired so that it can be coated with epoxy to seal the surface and then the black gelcoat can be applied to finish the plug surface before the plug is used to make the custom shower tray for this Hardy 25.

A lot of filling and fairing to be done until the surface is good enough to make it into a plug to take a moulding off

A long job for the owner to remove the seized bolt out of the iron stub keel a lot of patience as this is not an easy job at the best of times.  

A finesse in the workshop for new deck and plank

The Finesse 24 is back in the workshop after it has had a change of ownership and this time it is going to have a new deck and a split plank replaced  

The major work is going to be on the decks 

The major problem is going to be sorting out the poor work done before and the ill fitting work on the deck beams and carlins 

This is the split plank that needs replacing 

At last the first two items of equipment go back on the boat

The new toilet discharge skin fitting is fixed back in place

The saildrive unit hull garter is back on the bottom so that part of the job is done, just got to fit the new anode and the repaired propeller when it comes back from the prop repair shop.