Decking....

The reconstruction of the decks is now finished and 4 coats of varnish applied. Time to make some trestles to suit the deck profile so I can make a proper side on the outside.

The stern deck looks as if it has been painted with wood stain in this picture, but it looks much better in real life! Not bad for (relatively) cheap ply. The oak and mahogany is probably better timber than was available when she was built after the end of WW 2.

I have burnt the varnish off the top 2 planks and on the bow. Not sure how much more I can sand before the nail heads are worn away.

Aldeburgh Yacht Club Regatta

A week of sailing elderly boats, none of them National 12s.....

I have been crewing on "Harkaway" in the mornings. Not sure when she was built but it was the late 1940s and she is part of Peter Wilson's impressive collection of vintage and modern yachts.

Unfortunately, "Panther" a more modern version caught her back stay on Dove Point, a large marker at the end of Halvergate Island, snapping the mast at the jumpers.

"Apache" was lucky to survive an attack earlier in the week by a frisky "Orion" who nearly suceeding in mounting her. Has anyone bred a Dragon in captivity?

Here we are in Tringa sailing through Orford. The pagoda building on the "Island" was part of the Atomic Weapon Testing Program, it is now owned by the National Trust (the Island and buildings, not the bombs!).

The wind picked up after lunch and racing, with a 38.2 mph gust recorded on the Slaughden Sailing Club anemometer. We sailed back under jib only, at times surfing on the waves, recording speeds of over 6 knots against the tide!

The Lapwing was designed by Morgan Giles and No1(Lapwing) was built in1947 for Jill Fowles who continues racing her.

How about some vintage National 12 racing against the Lapwings next year?

Fun on the start line earlier in the week. Perfect weather and some very close racing. Too close at times....The best we can finish will be second overall but third looks more likely.

No its not a National 12. It is a Lapwing an Aldeburgh Yacht Club One Design dinghy designed as an alternative to the "expensive" development class we are racing no 57 "Tringa" this week. No racing today so a few hours work on Bobtail.......

The original gunwhales were oak and as the Yard have run out of mahogany it was an easy choice to make when I saw some nice straight grained oak on a building site. A suitable 4 metre length was duly delivered by Mr Duggan in his mercedes SL convertable..

The Oak was too dry to bend cold so 10 minutes in the steamer ws required to make it nice and flexible. A quick turn in the front garden and the port side is now in place. Soon be time to get the varnish out.

Transom complete including spline to cover the end grain of the ply decks

Summer Sailing

We have spent too much time sailing N3232 and not enough time in the garage working on Bobtail.

Finally got all the fittings that will be hidden beneath the decks fixed , the remaining deck panels are now glued in place.

The wash boards are also finaly fixed in place. I am pleased with the jonit on the centre line of the decks. It is as good as my woodworking skills allow....I used the old ones as a pattern, Starting from scratch would have been impossible.

The mast is deck stepped in the little triangle behind the wash boards

Final clean up required together with some cover pieces etc.

Soon be time to roll her over and start on the other side.

Transom complete apart from spline to cover end grain in ply decking. Bronze horse plan failed so Purely Metal have made a very nice stainless steel one. Thanks Colin.

I need some nice gold lettering as seen on "Tessa". Where did you buy them Tim?

What's Going on Here?

An interesting looking structure ..... several National 12s could be lost in this large tent......

Or one very large Gentleman's Motor Yacht!

I am very pleased my little boat is only 12ft long when compared to this project. The starboard quarter of Mr Wilson's latest restoration project. A massive task, but then it is his Boat Yard!

Back to Bobtail who had a short spell in the sun at the weekend when I swept out the garage. The port decks glued in place and trimmed to fit.

Back inside and how to hold the decking down on the centreline required lots of string and pieces of timber. Fortunately nothing slipped and the cats cradle worked!

Cramps, string etc removed and the deck is nearly finished. The last part of the puzzle to be fixed when all the fittings are re fixed onto the transom later in the week.

A

Back to work

After a long bank holiday sailing at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club work has resumed on Bobtail.

The last two days of Burton Week(end) were very windy, but that didn't deter some of the vintage fleet taking to the water. Several broken masts but a fantastic event and largest fleet of National 12s racing for some time.

Back to Bobtail and some 4mm plywood obtained from the ever helpful Aldeburgh Boatyard Company together with more epoxy and the loan of a large bundle of cramps.

The new decks will made from 4 pieces of plywood. The joints at the junction between the side decks and the foredeck will be hidden under the wash boards.

The task for cramping the decking in place is quite straightforward with the use of plenty of sliding cramps and some left over staircase from a friends barn conversion.....

The cramps are the perfect length to catch on the top strake. All the other panels are cut roughly to shape and will soon be glued in place.

Some bronze bar also obtained to make a new mainsheet horse ( yes the ABC again!). There is no way the rusty old mild steel one will be reused. I need to persuade Colin and Martin at Purely Metal to bend and thread the straight bar into the required shape.

A picture of N76 (Coot) sailing at Aldeburgh Yacht Club is some inspiration to keep me working hard and get N760 back on the water....

Hard at work

After a rather a rather enjoyable holiday and the completion of annual maintenance on Bobtail's younger sister, the old girl is back in a clean and tidy workshop.

Progress was delayed by unscheduled repairs to N3232 after an unfortunate incident with a small keelboat which was all my fault!

There are 384 little squares of plank, 46 ribs, 14 knees, 2 side beches, a thwart and a centreboard case to sand flat, then 2 more coats of varnish to apply in the search for the perfect finish..... Thank goodness she is only 12 feet long.

The ends of my fingers are worn smooth from sandpaper but I think the results are worth it.

This will be the last chance I have to work on the majority of the inside planking as the new decks will be fitted when we come back from racing at Thorpe Bay.