Classic Australian Wooden Power Boat Association

Today the front deck and kingplank came off. They were in good shape and can be used for patterns. With the deck off, a couple more of the deck beams show signs of splitting. Next job is to remove the cover boards. They seem to be glued on and then secured with dowel plugs, no screws. The removal will be a little more delicate, as I want to keep these intact and use them as patterns. Also, being glued down, I need to avoid pulling the hull side away at the gunwale as the cover boards are prised off. The aim is to get the coverboards off and then have a good look at the boat and think about what needs to be done (and how to do it) over Christmas.

Bloody good work Bob. Not your circular saw job I see. Personally I think it's worth the time if you can keep patterns as it would be a great help when it comes time to putting it back together. That and taking a lot of photos which I'm sure you're also doing. Next week I'm coming up to do a test launch at Eagle Point. Think I'll drop in for a sticky if that's ok.

Today I released the port cover board. It came off in two pieces due to some rot around the join, but its still a useful pattern. Not a single screw holding it on; all glued so it seemed that perhaps these had previously been removed and replaced. Again, glad that I took it off as there is a small amount of rot in the stern quater frame which is easy to replace and now I have good access to the two front deck frames which need to be replaced. Looking at the coverboard on the shop floor, the total deflection is 600mm... the front board has come from a board 400mm wide.

We need some resource for that piece!

Starboard cover board came off today and I think I've solved the mystery. A previous owner removed the cover boards (buggered if I know why) then reinstalled them using epoxy and held down with screws and large flat washers fitted through the old buyng/screrw holes, until the epoxy went off. The temporary screws came out and new bungs went in. Over both coverboards I didn't come across a single screw but the adhesive is definitely epoxy, hard and brittle.

West systems? seems to stick OK but not soak in,

Not West. The squeeze out has dried brown but the epoxy in the joint is a light purple and looks to have some body to it for gap filling. If I didn't know better it looks a bit like body filler.

You probably do know better, first impressions are usually right

Since Christmas I've taken out the steering, seat frames front/rear and also the ceiling boards. (The ceiling boards run fore & aft on the inside of the front and rear cockpits.) Today I replaced and rough fitted the bridge deck. This is a relativeliy light piece which separates the front seat from the rear cockpit. Eventually it will have mahogany decking laid over the top, but it is only about 60mm long. I used beech timber laid under the 80 year old pieces which were shot but good enough for rough patterns. Next is some CPES to seal the beech, then glue and with epoxy, screw than some final fairing before painting with bilge paint. The task of rebuilding the deck frame has finally begun. As an aside, I will be replacing the transom, but have decided to leave it in place until its time to repair the rear deck frame as the transom adds great torsional strength to the hull.

This is the deck that keeps on giving. Today I set about removing the deck stringers to get to the deck frames which need to be replaced. Discovered more timber failures in this exceptionally dry and brittle timber. So I've decided to replace the entire foredeck frame. This is an easy decision. Not only is the deck frame timber no longer up to it, but also ... the mahogany timber which I have is good for three planks wide. CC used two three and four panel sections on the deck so the factory original stringer layout won't work for me. The existing deck beams will make excellent patterns.