Welcome to the Britannia Heritage Shipyard Society Blog
24 April 2012
Work on the Merrilee II's hull continues. Her port side has received a second coat of primer, her starboard is ready for the first.
Although the untent when we moved her into the Boatworks last fall was to give her a light makeover, just scrape her hull and bottom, address her fastners, paint her and put her back in the water it was not to be. One thing lead to another and the project became a victim of scope creep. Should we replace thw canvas on the cabin roof? We could get away with just painting it. Nah. Better replace it. It goes under the trim so just cut it at the trim line. But that will leave a poor seam at the edge so better take the trim off. Remove ut carefully - don't want to break it.
Oops! Well, we can make a new molding with not much time abd effort.
And so on.
So, just as any renovation, automotive, residential, one thing leads to another and pretty soon ia sma;; job becomes a very big job.
Hardware removed from Merrilee must be cleaned, dressed, sometimes repaired or replaced.
Here we see (far right) Neils restoring the molding from a window. In the other picture (near right) Don uses a file to dress a brass through-hull fitting, a fuel tank vent.
17 April 2012
Images: We continue to improve our ability to display some of the many, many images we have collected. There are plans being drawn up
even now for extensive online galleries. Once this facility is in place we plan to open up the display capability to our many visitors who
delight in taking and sharing pictures.
As an interim step we have installed two digital picture frames in richmond Boat Builders. These have been placed in unobtrusive locations, little surprises to be found by alert or knowledgeable visitors. They each have a large number of images taken around the site showing its stunning beauty and also depicting many of the activities of the Society members as they carry out vessel restoration activities or, occasionally, just relax and socialise.
If you have images which you would like to contribute to our archives you may send them along and we may include them in the display.
See if you can find one or both of the digital frames or ask one of our volunteers.
15 April 2012
Capping seams: The task of making the seams both functional and attractive is one which requires considerable care and attention.
Once the caulking material has been hammered into the seam a water barrier must be applied over top. to seal it. The material must
be applied so that it enters the seam and bonds to the plank on either side. It is then smoothed with a slight and very precise groove.
This feature is important to the appearance of the vessel. It could be left smooth and flush with the planks but this is undesirable for,
when painted, the hull would not have the traditional planked look that wooden boat owners crave. It would look like -- gasp --
a plastic boat. Here we see Jerry carefully applying the precise groove with a special tool.
Even on a small boat like the Merrilee II there is a daunting amount of seam to caulk and cap. Here Jack is nearing the stem as he
applies the sealing compound on one of many, many seams. Note the excellent condition of the yellow cedar planking. It has been 60 years since those planks were milled and made into a hull. They are as sound and as hard as they were on day one. Scant wonder this is a favoured material for wooden hulls despite its occasional challenges.
13 April 2012
A team of fabric competent people has convened to remake Merrillee's curtains. The ones she came in with have been exposed to ultraviolet radiation
for many years and, consequently, are frail and unlovely. Margaret and Brenda, seen here discussing mounting arrangements with Jack, have put a
great deal of time and love into selecting a durable,
attractive fabric for the new ones, designing them to be functional and not intrusive during vessel operation and attractive.
The background in this image gives some idea of the extent of the disassembly. The windscreens are out to rundown the source of an irksome leak.
While removing the windscreens it was discovered, the hard, expensive way that glass was not safety glass but just plain old, heavy duty window glass.
Naturally we decided to replace them with safety glass. Well, the broken one had to be replaced anyway.
The new panes have been received and are ready to be installed.
The work on Merrilee II's hull continues apace. The crew has moved to her starboard side .Caulking above the water line is now complete and the seams are being capped with a modern marine putty. There has been considerable and vigorous discussion on the capping compound with some holding out for an epoxy based product and others for a more flexible compound. The concern with epoxy is that it dries hard and rigid. How will it perform next to planking which swells and shrinks as it takes on or gives up water? If it cracks, it will admit water to the caulking, speeding its disintegration. Also a risk: the hard compound may work away at the adjacent planking causing damage. Others maintain the modern seam compound will not bond well to the yellow cedar planks and will pull away in time, again, opening the seams and allowing water to enter. When in doubt, test. Merrilee II has become a floating laboratory, a guinea pig. Her port side has her above water seams capped with epoxy and her starboard above water seams are capped with {put product name here.} We'll know the answer in a year or so.
7 April 2012
From the archives:
Here one sees Jack working some of his considerable magic on Iona's lighting circuitry.
The wiring of older boats, especially for quasi-museum purposes is a considerable challenge. The standards for marine wiring are very different from those used in residential wiring. Older boats have usually been subjected to the well-intentioned but lamentabley uninformed and unskilled attention of a series of owners. It is distressingly common to find home wiring in vessels and even that not to any kind of standard. There are always reasons for standards and they always address issues of safety and efficacy.
By the time we get a vessel it will probably have been through a number of owners, most of whom did their own vessel maintenance. So, it is more often the case that we find 'loomex' in place of boat wire (issues with corrosion), under-sized wire (issues with voltage drop due to line loss), improper splices (potential source of failure and more line loss) and so on and so on. It is often the case that we must rip out almost all of the old wiring and replace it, an expensive and time-consuming task.
On the other side of the equation we try to keep as close to historical accuracy as possible. In many cases this is nearly impossible. For example, the knife swatches commonly used before WW II are just not going to make it with an underwriter. Since we strive to keep our vessels in navigable and insurable state we are compelled to walk a narrow path between what actually existed and what can be safely done today. Even if original, professionally installed wiring still exists in a vessel it will probably not meet current standards - not by a long chalk.
Jack brings a degree of skill and knowledge to the Society's projects that stems from two sources: his training and profession as an industrial electronics technician and his ownership of a very substantial sailing vessel which he has been restoring, almost single-handedly, for the past two decades.
One of Jack's many remarkable skills is his ability to fold his 6' 3" frame up like a carpenter's rule and wedge it into improbably small spaces within a vessel. And do useful work while there!
6 April 2012
Tools:
It is a constant source of wonder to me that the tools used in the building and restoring of wooden boats are for the most part,
simple and rugged; even to the point of appearing crude. This observation highlights the skill of the people who create such lovely and capable vessels.
This little device, about 14" long, is actually from the automotive or mechanical world and mechanics will recognise it as a seal puller. It turns out to be ideal, just the right width, just the right shape, for raking old putty or caulk out of the seams between planks.
The simplicity of the tools used by boat rights might be a source of a certain condescension by those who have become used to a high-tech world. I think this is a mistaken, seriously mistaken point of view. The boat wright, in the absence of power everything and technical cleverness necessarily becomes reliant upon his skill and knowledge to achieve the stunningly beautiful and impressively functional results that are the norm in his industry.
Take, for example, this deceptively simple raking tool.. Anyone trained as a carpenter, any half way competent and welll-equipped home handyman would take one look at a wooden hull in need of re-caulking and say, "I have just the thing for that!." and go on to describe his plunge router, spiro cutter or some other hi-speed rotary device capable of cutting, grooving, sanding, chewing or otherwise converting wood to dust in short order. This person must be gently but firmly separated from his not-so original predisposition for speed and efficiency; for what matters here is care and precision. The modern power tool has its place in the boat works but it must be vigorously kept away from many tasks. The slightest deviation from the intended path will, in a fraction of a second, cause damage which can take days to repair or which, if left unfixed, will be an enduring weakness, a potential source of disaster and the possibility of loss of vessel and human life.
Cut too wide and the putty may not hold, cut too deep and more caulking than intended will be removed. Either circumstance will result in a weakened seam, one which will fail in time, most probably in time of stress - just when the weather gets really gnarly. The true boat wright, the careful worker, allows the feel of the work and the feel of the wood to flow through the simple but elegant tool and into his hands, into his being. It is this process, not clever technology which results in the graceful, beautiful curves of well built boat. It is this bond between wood and worker that leads to the joy and pride of a beautiful, capable vessel.
24 March 2012
A sure signs that spring is here and summer is on the way: The main doors on Richmond Boat builders are open when boat work
is happening. While visitors are welcome anytime work is in progress, the open doors are a particular invitation to drop in, watch and ask questions.
Seen here: Bob sanding out filler on the port bow of Merrilee II. The port side has received its first coat of
primer and the starboard side is ready. Merrilee's planking is of the relatively uncommon and hideously expensive yellow cedar
(Chamaecyparis nootkatensis.) Just as life is a series of trade-offs, so is material selection for boat building.
(One of the great delights of volunteering at the Shipyard is learning the properties of materials.) Yellow cedar is durable
(much harder than Western Red Cedar,) stable, (expands about 5% when hydrated,) and weathers well due to it's high oil content.
On the not-so wonderful side of the ledger: it's expense and it's tenancy to repel paint, again, due to its high natural oil content.
The hull you see here is a bit over 60 years old and really is in excellent condition. Only one spot of rot was discovered - on the starboard quarter, a relatively easy fix.
If you look closely you can see a few of the 3,000 bungs that have been replaced in Merrilee's hull. The intersection of each plank and each rib receives a boat nail to hold all together. The nails for vessels larger than punts or canoes are or galvanised iron. Copper is not sufficiently strong. Even though zinc-clad, the nails will quickly rust in a marine environment so great care must be taken. Each nail has been carefully exposed and inspected by removing the old bung. If necessary, the nail would be removed and a new one installed. Fortunately Merrilee's fastenings were in good shape and did not need wholesale replacing. (Some of the vessels we work on require all fastenings to be replaced.) Then a dab of tar or paint was applied to prevent future corrosion and the cavity is plugged with a 'bung,' a little cylinder of yellow cedar. All the bungs above the water line have been replace - all 3,000+ of them. Another 2,000 or so below the water line await treatment.
The story we got on Merrilee was that someone discovered a yellow cedar log on a beach near Powell River. He towed it to a saw mill and had it cut into planks. The result was enough lumber to build three hulls, the third one became, after a couple of name changes, the Merrilee II.
A critical step in the re-furbishing of a vessel is re-caulking (prn: "re-corking") her seams. The seams
between a vessel's planks are one of the many critical areas. The planks expand and contract as the moisture conditions change.
Haul her out and her planks dry and shrink, increasing the gap between them. Put her in water and her planks swell decreasing
the gap. The width of the gap is critical and must be carefully controlled; too wide and the caulking will be weak, too narrow
and the planks may buckle when they swell. The material placed into the gap must be sufficiently flexible to accept the swelling
of the planks and yet must prevent the passage of water. In the hey day of wooden boats, before the advent of metal and fiberglas (
which wooden boat people refer to somewhat disdainfully as 'tin' an 'plastic' boats) caulking was a sub-trade. On smaller hulls,
with smaller seams, the gap is filled with cotton, tamped tightly and capped with putty. Here is another challenge for the historic
boat restorer, The traditional material was red lead putty. A mixture of clay, linseed oil and lead oxide, it hardened nicely but
did not become brittle. The lead served as an effective deterrent to the predations of marine organisms, usually quite vigorous.
Lead is a toxic material and, as a result, red lead putty has become unavailable. (It may even be illegal.) Finding a suitable
substitute is both difficult and expensive.
Here we see Dave, flat on his back, working on the most difficult part of the hull. He is using a special tool to rake the old putty from the seams. You can see it is difficult work: material removed falls on his clothes and face. Arms become tired after a very few minutes. Great care must be taken not to damage planks. The underlying cotton is in good shape so he strives to get the old dry putty out while leaving the cotton in tact. This is, of course, a rather important area of the hull for it is the part that will be permanently submerged once Merrilee returns to her native element. Thanks, Dave, for your courage and endurance. True grit.
Another sign of spring: wedding parties start showing up with their photographers in tow. It seems the contrast between our weathered old buildings and the elegance of bridal attire delights many newly weds for they come droves when the weather is fine.
18 March 2012
The AGM was a success. Success means, in this context, a quorum was present and a new slate of Directors was elected. Our Board can have as many as 15 members who are each responsible for one or more aspects of the Society's operation. Obvious positions include Treasurer, Secretary, Chair and Vice-Chair.
The Board goes forward into 2012 with 10 members, the most we've had in a decade. This is a sign the Society is growing in strength and in stature. Expect great things in the coming year.
17 March 2012
AGM - 2:00 today At the Murakami Boathouse.
Restoration Standards posted here.
9 March 2012
A dying breed, sadly: Boat building may have been a career and a profession and a living at one time but, at least in the case of wooden boats this phase of our industry has all but passed. The few left building wooden boats are mostly well beyond the age when others since retired, ... or passed on. Each time another practitioner passes we are left with -- nothing. No one replaces him. The old time boat builder pursued his art more as a life-style, philosophy or even religion. Such was certainly the case with .87 year-old Jack Chippendale of Norfolk, England. His obituary, published in the Telegram, provides a fascinating look at the life and work of one of the world's foremost boat builders. Read Jack Chippendale's obituary here.
8 March 2012
A quick note to our cherished members: the Society's Annual General Meeting will be held on St. Patrick's Day, 17 March 2012. The notice, which was mailed to all members, is reproduced here.
5 March 2012
We moved Merrilee II into Richmond Boat Builders last fall. She will get a makeover consisting of minor hull repairs, re-caulking,
paint and improvements yo her interior finish.
When she returns to her proper element in late spring or early summer of 2012 she will re-assume her proper place as the Society's flagship. We expect her to attend one or more wooden boat festivals this summer. (Hint: we will be looking for crew so if you are a Society member - or would like to be one - consider taking a short cruise with us this summer.)
Work is now well advanced on Merrilee II. Her old hull paint has been carefully removed with heat gun and scraper, Her fittings and trim have been removed, her seams have been raked and re-caulked, incompetent fasteners have been removed and replaced, every last fastener plug was picked out, the fastener inspected and.new plugs fitted, more than a thousand in all. She will look an entirely new vessel when she returns to the water.
Merrilee II's haul out and refit are a sign that the Society continues to grow and gain strength. all too often in the past our vessels have declined in general health to a dangerous and unbecoming state. In some cases, we have had to dispose of a vessel for the simple reason that we could not care for her. This is a situation which causes us considerable distress. Taking care of vessels, old or new, is an expensive, time-consuming labour of love. Restoring them to a working state is even harder
New feature: We have installed two digital picture frames and loaded them up with a vast number of images. Thy show many aspects of the site, of our projects and activities, and of our facilities. We'll be happy to put up some of your images if you will send them to us. Look for these galleries next time you visit us.
3 March 2012
Your webmaster has returned from a lengthy stay in sunnier climes. The good folks in Mexico declined to let me bring the weather home with me. Pity.
There has been lots of activity at Britannia, if not on the web site:
- Iona's refit is largely complete (some finishing work remains) and she has been launched;
- Little Mukail likewise is largely complete and has been moved out of Richmond Boat Builders to the yard where a temporary structure has been built to keep the rain off her;
- Starliner has been moved in the yard to make room for her new 'house,' a large industrial tent structure to be erected next weekend. She'll be moved into the tent as soon as it is ready and her restoration work will begin;
- Merrilee II was hauled to Richmond Boat Builders on Saturday where she will undergo repainting and general upgrading. She is expected to be back in the water next spring.
- Plans are being drawn up to rebuild one of the carts on the small marine railway (ways.)
So, for those of you who would love to spend part of a Saturday working with tools, hanging out with like-minded people in a really neat environment with some wonderful history, get on down to Britannia and sign up for a challenge. We're preserving BC's maritime history. Come out and help us.
Note to self: Good Gallery Example