Making up starboard thwart support rail.

Having steamed the rails yesterday and leaving to cool over night, they held most of the steamed shape. 

The next job to do was shape the backs which lay against the hull so the top edge sat level along its length. That way it has the most support on the thwarts as possible   

The aft end scarfed joint to give the best possible strength  

The first part of the rail held in position with props, so when I glue the joint and the back face of the support rail with thickened epoxy it will stay in position until I glass over the rail 

The front rail in position, just got to put a radius on the inside edges top and bottom before gluing it in position

 

Back to my day job after a stressful two weeks away

Back to some wood work on the picnic boat, Cutting out a pair of seat rails to replace the rotten and broken rails the support the thwarts in the boat 

A couple of runs through the thicknesser to get them down to the correct size 

Then an hour in the steambox to make them bendable to cramp round the gunwale to put some bend into the rails to aid fitting them into position under the thwarts 

Cramped in position and now leave them to cool off  overnight  and then start to fit them in to position 

This where the rails will be fitted after they have cooled off and will then be fibreglassed over to to keep them in position 

 

Between visits to Chance a lot happens, so that I can get on with my day job

 While I try to get to Chance as often as possible, it is sometimes not always easy as this last two weeks as shown. About a month ago, I was able to buy a caravan to live in while up in the north West of England where Chance is presently in storage. I had to do a few things to the caravan to be able to tow it to be near Chance. Good plan, at first everything was going to plan, Bedding and other things needed to fit out our new home from home were sorted.  

Then the day we had set to go up country to where Chance is presently in Storage came around. The trip up country when well for the most part apart from the part over the Pennines, this part proved to be a major headache as the traffic on the motorway was going at about 10 to 15 mph for the best part of 8 to 10 miles. My transit van was more than capable of towing our new home from home caravan.  So I thought, I spent the first four days working on Chance with the aid of my brother John who had come over from his home in Yorkshire for the four days we were planning to work on the boat. That part of the week when well and we got a fair bit done and made plans for the next time I was going to go up to work on Chance. 

Then the fun or not so fun part of the time up at Chance.  When had found a place near to Chance to have the caravan for the time we were up there and also a place to keep it when were not working on Chance and we could move the caravan between the two places when we were up working on Chance.  Then the Transit developed a problem with changing gears. At first I put it down to my tiredness. However, the problem got worse until the Transit broke down going for some shopping for breakfast, little did in know that this was going to take all day to get sorted out. My wife was with me and she was able to go back to the caravan while I stayed with the Transit until the recovery man and vehicle arrived. The first recovery man came and said he was not able to fix it on the roadside, however he was able to take my wife back to our caravan to get things sorted at tat end. Then I had a long wait until the second recovery man came and he was able to recover the Transit to our caravan so that it was with the caravan. 

Next morning they removed the Transit to their depot and the caravan were able to put our caravan into their storage area until it will be possible for me to get up to the North West of ~England to move the caravan to its storage area that we had arrange for it to be in while not working on Chance.

So with Chance all covered over with sheets to keep the weather out of the boat and the caravan sorted at the caravan site in the their storage area, it was time to say farewell to Chance for a little while. Then make the 285 mile trip back home to North Essex and back to  work or so I thought. We were a day late leaving the North West and before the trip up to the North West our car was in the local garage for repairs. When I got back home I when round to the garage to ask if the car had been repaired, only to get told that an electrical problem had developed  and that they were trying to resolve the problem ASAP. 

So the next chapter starts, had to hand back the lease car after we had made it home. The company said it should be able to find another car, but were unable to help out at this time. So then we had to find another car, this proved to be a problem as every local company we phoned did not have any available vehicles. Until at the eleven hour one local company came through and we now have a car until Thursday evening. By which time either my Transit van will be fixed or my wife's car will. As on Friday we have to go to a close friend's funeral. So I am hoping that the car problems are behind us. 

Then I can make fresh plans for the next time I go up to Chance to work on her .

In between times it is back to my day job being a boat builder, repairing other peoples and keeping their boat in good order. 

Another fruitful week at Chance in Woodplumpton sorting out temp floorboards and removing more rubbish from the inside

At the moment I am having to use my old small generator as the only form of electric power to power my electric tools and give me lighting in the boat. We I can get some funds available I hope to get a larger generator  to give me more power to run more tools and lighting. 

Cutting the first of many temporary floorboards for the inside, while I get the old floorboards out and cleaned and dried out and repainted.  

The first two temporary floorboards down in position, it is a start just quiet a few more to make before I am finished  

Three quarters of the interior ballast removed from the bilges. This was placed from the front end of the main cabin and through the boat to as far back as the forward bulkhead of the aft cabin bulkhead. We worked it out as amounting to about 1 ton of pig iron that was laid in the bilge.  

Exposing the hull side in the main cabin exposed a patch of rotten wood in the stringer, thankfully it is localised and the ribs and frames appear to be in good condition. Now the hull planking as a can to dry out now that a cover is over the deck and the air can now circulate around the inside which as not been exposed since 1948.

The old diesel cooker is now removed to be serviced and sold on as it will not needed after the restoration in completed 

First of many bins coming out of the boat as more and more of the old furniture and rotten wood comes out of the inside to help expose the hull planking to access the hull planking fixings to ensure the planks are re-fixed the original way., i.e. copper nails and roves and not like some of the past repairs just screwed in position. 

 

A weeks' work on our James Silver Western Isles Chance

 First sight of the interior from last time I was on the boat. 

The first of many dustbins full of old bits coming out of the boat and going in the skip of metal scrap bin

A  small area of stringer with a small area of rot which needs cutting out and repairing 

The hull planking as a area of rot which will removed when the planks are removed and the whole area is treated with fugal spore treatment to kill off any spore in the ribs or frames 

The whole area of the hull above the starboard cupboard now exposed for the first time since Chance was build and now the air can get to the hull to help dry out the area 

The galley sink is now removed and so is the upper cupboard so more of the hull is exposed to aid getting to the plank fixings so that she can be re-fixed the correct way with copper nails and roves and not just screwed together which appears to have been done on some of the planking that as be replaced over the years. 

The next three photos s show the galley upper cupboard being taken apart 

My brother john aiding me with getting the interior ballast out of the bilge so the area can be cleaned and dried out and inspected 

The next few photos showing the condition of the bilges once the ballast weights were mostly removed some of the remaining weights are in need of a bit more attention to get them out of where they are wedged in position