Hi Guy's,
Well the last two repairs were a bit difficult and have taken some time. These are frame 17 and 18, the last two. 17 sister I knew about but found the frame gone as well! just in this place the plank had split and the split part had snapped. Must have been a coral head I hit when flipped over as very concentrated damage. The other prob was the nav station and battery compartment, I just didn't want to remove all that as well, so did it in situ.

Frames ready for template

General view now

The plank removed after frame installed

Finished repair, notice new butt block for attaching new plank

 So Now all frames I am doing this side are done! today Wednesday I start nailing it all up!

More coming

Roy

Work begins on hull

Hi everyone,

second plank off starb side

looks more like this

outside view

Just a quickie. The wood arrived for the planking repairs Wednesday so work began imeadiatly on the Hull. just a coulpe of pics

Hi all,
Well the repair to this frame 8a has fought me all the way, 3 days, each one a different struggle. The 3 following pics of the finished repair show, I think, how complicated this join from the beam to the deck and hull actually is. I found out of the 13 fasteners that should have been holding it together, only 4 were in place! the rest had been left out. Damage to the deck fastener holes was extensive and had to be replaced with plugs. The same applied to the hull side. The frame is now new Oak instead of the pine that had rotten away, and the beam end is a solid lump of treated pine, west epoxied in place. All through bolts have been re drilled and replaced, so now after the covering board join is caulked there should be no more movement in this area, with the associated leaks

without flash it all looks calmer

Frame showing grown oak knee under the deck

Frame showing scarf join

More later as I get on with the nailing up.
Good news is the Planking lumber has been delivered to the wood shop.
bad news is I now have to redo the damaged planks as well!

No rest for the wicked

Roy

Frame 8a

Hi all,
Today its back to plan A, and the deck support wrought iron frame. Shown in the first pic are these 2 frames left one being fwd and right one aft. There are many beams here cos its the chain plate attachments for the mast. Has to be very strong and obviously was cos no damage was noted here except for sister on F10. 8a and 10a are extra beams to suport the mast fore and aft. I had already known before the reef incident there was an issue with 8a, as this had at sometime in the past had a repair, and I now know why.

Loose unfastened Knee and partial frame 8a

 The 2 beam ends in pic below going behind the beam shelf and iron frame have started to rot away. This has happened before because the teak covering board of the deck has a join right above them.
This leaks now quite badly because the repair done before was a bodge job, the original fastenings had been removed and plugged with dowling, (not good) when repaired the grown oak knee was never reattached and this complete join of deck too hull side has not been giving any support to the cross beam. The repair has now also rotted the repaired beam ends

Frame 8a and in background undamaged frame 10a

 Below pic shows very short scarfed main support deck beam and a better view of Knee. All this will have now to be removed and repaired properly!

Beam end scarf joint

Below pic are the removed parts, the grown oak knee is in remarkable condition and will be put back in. The partial frame will be renewed and a new type scarf jointed beam end fitted.

removed parts

 Below pic is a veiw of all the missing bits, also started to cut back the beam end ready for new piece to be fitted. This is as I left GL tonight.

Ready for repairs

The biggest problem with this repair is going to be how its all refastened! Just about every original hole in the surounding planks and beams are damaged and will not now, except any type of new fastener.
I'm thinking about that now, I'll have to come up with somthing good to fix it all back in, and make it strong again.

More coming
Roy

A sorry day

Hi all
Was a bit dishartened when I started this morning, below pic is were I was yesterday. But had a great day and the frame was cut, glued, dried and nailed and bolted before I finished for the day.

Sister on frame 10 ready for template

All surround wood removed with Sister 10 finished.

While that was going on I noticed all floor fastenings had given way when GL was flipped over! so I had to strip out the head completely to effect repairs.

looking aft from focsul

A couple of pics of the mess I'm in in the interior!

My work place!

Think I need a chief minister of the interior don't you?

Finding the right bits was a problem too, they had floated about, all over the boat whilst on the reef!

I have always been a messy worker, my old boss in Liverpool used to plead with me to tidy up, and called me a gypsy.

Starting to look normal again

But after a long long day today the bits were identified and put back in position prior to refastening.

beams refastened

So at least the starboard side floors are now ok again, and NO I am not even going to think about the port side yet!

all now refastened.

So by 1700hrs I was done in, and called it a day!

more later
Roy

Work on frame 12

Hi everyone,
Well frame 12 proved the hardest to template and fix. took just over 3 days to get it glued up. It had taken the most damage as the widest beam frame. Also this frame supports the saloon floor and paneling for the 'Head'. When the boat was flipped over the panel and floor were pushed up and caused even more damage to the deck and cabin deckhead! It is now all glued up and ready for drilling the nail pilot holes. The floor support has been lifted back in position and this time is secured with a bronze bolt through the new frame, instead of just resting on the hull planks. So another improvement gets done, never had the time to fix that in the past.

more coming

Roy

Frame 12 floor join

frame 12 bottom

frame 12 top

Work begins again

Hi Guys and Gals,
So Straight back to fixing the frames.
 After having received the copper nails, first job was to put them in, and set the roves ready for riveting. This was quite hard  nailing copper through oak, even with a pilot hole, I had to get a much bigger hammer, and then be very careful as giving them hard whacks its very easy to bend them!

Pics of nails with roves

Frame 13 all glued

And nailed

Frame 12 ready for template

So now all is ready for frame 12 to be templated and the oak cut to size. 12 and 13 were the most badly damaged, and the reason for being the last to do, as I didn't want the planks to move until the rest had been nailed. Frame 10, 17, 18 have only broken sisters so will be easier to finish. Then all frames are fixed. I will have one more piece of oak to put in up fwd. This was the deck support which also took some damage.
I have now ordered the wood for the planking repairs. Jeff and Morgan from the wood shop are organizing that for me, they have sourced some Fir, 8"x1-1/2"x16 feet. I think its 5 of these should do the trick. 2 of these will replace both Garboard planks, I've had a lot of trouble with them leaking, and have found the cause I think. Through bolts broken, and the fact they had been nailed on using round brass nails instead of screws. With a bit of luck they shouldn't leak again.
So the Saga continues with more similar pics coming.
Roy

PS arn't the pics really good?! I do like this camera a lot.

Promised Pics

Pic 1 = the Baths at Virgin Gorda

Pic 2 = An old classic

Pic 3 = Having a dance with our Minister of the Interior

Pic 4 = View from the Dry Dock

Pic 5 = In the dock ready to be lifted up

Pic 6 = Inspecting the bottom

Pic 7 = Our little dent in the Port Propellor

Pic 8 = Joe's Beach Bar at Water Island (a little R&R)

Pic 9 = Sunrise at Water Island

Pic 10 = Relaxing after a hard day at the shipyard

Pic 11 = MiMu name board with the beating red hart

Pic 12 = casting off at Midnight

MiMu leaves Crown Bay Marina

MiMu passing the breakwater and then gone

Ok I'm Back Again

Hi Everyone still watching the blog,
Sorry for the missing updates to the blog, I've been so so busy earning money to continue the work, and buy the materials needed, to finish.
I joined a motoryacht in St. Maarten on 12 Feb. as temp Chief Engineer, only supposed to be a short time....but....as with boats in general, finding a replacement engineer was easier said than done.
I have been on the boat during the Owners visits, plus a charter. I had no handover from the previous Engineer as he had left 3 days before I got there. So lots of things had to be learned and fixed and operated. She is soon to cross the Atlantic and arrive in time for the Genoa Boat Show. I have made new friends, and met 2 past fellow crew members I have not seen for 20 years or so. I have also been taken to just about everywhere in the BVI whilst aboard the yacht, so have updated my knowledge of these Islands.

 I wish all the crew, with all my hart. Fair winds, Calm seas and a safe and interesting passage! They now have I believe, a capable boat to do it with.

The other thing that has happened is a rather important milestone in this magical mystery tour of my life! That is a birthday! I have now achieved the status of an Old Age Pensioner! and, having reached 65 years young, that journey continues too.
I have some pics to post, and will do that soon.

The Camera I have now was very Kindly donated by the Owners of the motoryacht 'MiMu', (the yacht with the beating Hart) it is waterproof and Tough, and exactly what I needed most. Thank you both ever so much.

More later.
Roy

Frames and more

hi all,
Well I got on so very well this last week and a half.
I have now completed repairs to Frames 11, 14, 15 and 16. They have been bolted to new sisters and all holes drilled ready for the copper nail and rove riveting. Frames and sisters 12 and 13 have now been removed ready for templates and new oak to be cut. Have a need for two more oak planks to do this. Frames 17, 18 and 10 will be the last ones to do, but they only have broken sisters, the frames are ok. So all progressing well.

There are other issues.
The vessel I worked on in St Maarten has had crew problems and I am now back on board as temp. Engineer whilst the owner comes and has his winter holiday. He is expected to cruise the Virgin Islands, which I now know so well. Hopefully I will be relived and dropped off at St Thomas when they visit there, this in 7-10 days.

I will be able to buy the bronze wood screws with the cash I earn for this little juant.

A comical funny and serious thing happed to me on my way home the other night.
My battered outboard has been in service now on Chris's big dingy. I left the yard, got on board, pulled the starter cord, the engine started, I overbalanced, and Spar-lash! I had my camera in my pocket, this one was not waterproof and is now dead! I'm not suprised as I was towed a good halfway back to the dock before I managed to climb back on board!
So no pics for a bit
More coming though keep tuned
Roy

Frame 14

Hi Again,
had to rip the furniture out so that will need repairing later.
But have the second frame No 14 in place, all glued, holes for nails drilled and the 3/8" bolts fitted.










Roy

Another quick update

Hi everyone,
Just to let everyone know. I have arrived back in St Thomas on Monday,
and got straight to work on my own boat.
I have bought a pile of oak and have been templating the frames and cutting the laminations.
I am very happy to report the first frame (15) has been repaired and the reinforcing sister has been 'wested' and bolted to it. Pics 1 & 2












I have nearly cut out all laminations for frame 14...But unfortunatly the frame has broken higher up than I thought, so now I have to remove the furniture above to effect a repair.
Not expected and a bit more work when I have to put it all back together.
More info coming
Roy

Work progress

Hi Everyone,
Well still keeping very busy.
When investigating the damage to the stern Deadwood, I found that all the bolts had come loose. As this also supports the rudder skeg it has to be fixed. So have begun this as well.
Pic 1 = work on deadwood and rudder. pic 2 = three frames now removed. F11, F14, F15.










Pics 4/5 = Interior after cleaning off the old paint ready to measure up and fit new frames.
Jack will have to stay there till the first three new frames are in and fastened.




I am going back to St Maarten tonight (Tuesday) and will be there for a week to 10 days, lots to do there too.
Roy

More news

Hi everyone,
Quick update, I recieved word that a boat needed fixing in St Maarten.
I flew there on Sunday and fixed a few things. Came back yesterday. Going back next week to sort out some more.
Very welcome input of working capital.

more later

Roy