The Cornish Crabber's centreboard case starting to be glassed back into the boat hull

The Cornish Crabber's centreboard case finally getting glassed back into position in the bottom of the boat. Just many layers of interwoven roving mat and CSM to be glassed in to build the layers back to the original specification and then a few more to be on the safe side. 

The fitting of the spacers inside the centreboard case was done with the help of a friend and former apprentice of mine.  

He is the person who has started the ball rolling so that on Monday I can start to build up the layers of fibreglass until there are enough layers to the fit the two pairs of triangular webs to brace the forward end of the centreboard case with the pivot is located.  

 

Mariner 40 service and replacement of missing parts and putting floor in Cornish Crabber so it is better to work inside the boat while refitting the interior

When this Mariner 40 came to the workshop the owner said it just needs a service and then I could fit it to his RIB.

The first job was to source a new top power trim pin and bushes, then fitting a new lower engine transom bracket anode. These parts were difficult to source as the engine is over 10 years old and the parts as not been stock in the UK for over 5 years, so it as been necessary to source these parts from the European central stockist to see if they had any left. Luckily they had and I was able to sort this engine. This was only possible because of contacts in the trade. 

The job all done and refitted on its transport pallet ready to go back to its owner and to be put on his RIB.

The temporary floor fitted to the aft end of the Cornish Crabber to make working on the inside easier to do and to get in and out of the boat

With this floor in position it will be easier to put power tools such as crop saws and small pillar drills to make items without of boat 

 

Our new 8ft dinghy build to order with option of trim and fittings

We offer these classic designed dinghies in a option of trim options and fittings to give you the client the chance to customize your dinghy

 

The Cornish Crabber centreboard case finally going back in again, it should never have been taken out.

The hull now all ground back to get it ready to start to fibreglass it back into position 

Now that it is ground back the first thing to do is put spacers in the centreboard case slot to keep the edges in position while glassing up the joint.

Now the centreboard case is in position, it as to be braced from both sides to ensure it is up right and centred in position 

Once it is in the correct position, then it time to make up two sets of braces either side of the pivot point to take the stress through the boat at this point. 

Once the centreboard case is in position the deck beams can be positioned to be over the raised part of the centreboard case to take the stresses from the top of the centreboard when the yacht is sailing 

 

The Weather as been against doing any work on the boats this last week

 Because of the extremely hot weather of the last week, I was not able to any major work as the jobs that were to be done this week were either in the main workshop is like an oven at the moment or outside in the temporary workshop which is like an oven in this weather as well. 

I hope to get another temporary workshop frame for Mai Star II as well, so that too  can get put under cover now and for the winter when the weather gets a lot cooler. In the meantime, it is a good time to get on with sorting out working practices to make them more effective and cut waste to a minimum wherever possible. 

One major job that will need tackling will be a major stock take of the workshop and the yard to see what is laying around and what needs attention to get turned into a cash flow for the business post Covid 19. Starting work on a new office,toilet and break area for anyone coming to the boatyard and workshop. Then an outside wood and plywood store to help free up space in the workshop which at the moment can not be used. 

Inspecting Mai Star II hull and deck beam area to see what needs doing to the top of the hull.

 Yesterday, while waiting for some epoxy to cure off, I had a good look at the sheer strake of the yacht and it was not good at all. The whole of the sheer strake will have to be replaced as one length from the stern on the starboard side is got rot in it along the upper part of the plank and the other three pieces which may up the forward part on the starboard side and the whole of the port side as been used in the past to nail the deck down to with iron nails which have rotted away and left holes and splits in the upper parts of the sheer strake. So in order to make good the sheer strake to fix the new deck down on to it is best to remove and replace whole all and start again. The fill in pieces which were nailed again to the beam shelf will have to replaced as well as they to were iron nailed down into the beam shelf and their nails have rusted away as well. So as well as replacing the deck beams and carlins for the cabin, the ribs and broken or rotten frames the top planks are now going to be replaced. So at the moment the list of parts coming off and getting replaced is getting ever longer. It will stop soon as we get to the bottom of the major parts that need replacing. The rest of the hull is in good condition if in need of a bit of primer to protect it while the work is done on it.

Trying to get some good quality green oak

This week was spent ordering wood for the ribs and frames for Mai Star II. These days trying to get good quality green oak at a reasonable price in difficult as many of the timber merchants are no longer around. Also to many tree surgery people cut the logs into small unusable sizes for boat building.

I do have enough nails to re-nail the ribs however, I may have to buy a number of long nails to go through the frames and some very long nails to go through both the frames and the beam shelf.

Because of the very hot weather it is impossible to work out in the sun for long without needing to get undercover. So I am not doing any work on the boat until the temperature drops a lot and makes working out on the boat bearable. So its back to the workshop and making different plans for other work on the yacht restoration. May be cut some wood to make some of the deck beams that need replacing.