Tuesday 27 November 2018

Wrapped up

At last she is all derigged, on her own trailer, cleaned out and covered up for the Winter.
I have the engine partly striped down and hope to have the whole thing out shortly. We're not sure if we will tow her home this year or not as I have a bit more work to do on the trailer and the shed I want to put her in needs work as well but either way she is not too badly off now. 





Friday 23 November 2018

Trailer

I got a few phone calls last week putting the pressure on to get the trailer built so I put in a hard week to get it done. I tacked it all together in my shed but I don't have a heavy enough power supply in there to use the bigger welder I borrowed to do the big welds, so had to move it for the final welding , I used 7018 low hydrogen rods which were recommended to me.
The beams are 16' long 8"x 4" RSJ's with 6.5ft 6" channel irons running across, The uprights are 2inch galvanised pipe with Screw jacks to tighten up to the hull, The axle is a front lorry axle off an old Hino. I bought a weld on tow eye for the tow bar. The ballast sits on the axle and the 9" block of wood forward of it to keep her level.
Nothing went easy, I searched the boatyard for wheels to fit the axle they had given me but only found one. A local tire center happened to have another one to suit following a long wait. Next I spent 6 hours in the rain trying to free the brake drums on the axle up (murder) and ended up sick. Next the trip switch in my other shed wasn't big enough for the welder so had to go and replace that and then go by a pin type towbar for my jeep to tow it to the boatyard. Regardless it got there and on time, where it sat for the last week.
    I went to lift the boat yesterday but it didn't happen but today it did. We got the mast down and lifted the boat on to the trailer. I then had to weld on all the struts to hold her up. Of course my welder instantly packed up but they lend me another one. It was dark at that stage so couldn't get a picture but she looks tidy on the trailer and fits nicely as I had planned. They moved her out of the way on it so it also works :) I don't want to make one that heavy again !!



Tuesday 13 November 2018

Teals sister

This is a picture I found online of Teals sister ship Water Wraith, Built from the same moulds but with a counterstern, I wonder if the counterstern and bermudan main were a later addition.

Teal for comparison 

Thursday 8 November 2018

Trailer

I finally got the trailer mocked up today. It shouldn't take long to get it all welded up.
We went to change Teals head gasket during September but one of the head studs had seized into the head and we failed to get the head off. We have decided to scrap the Petter engine and get something more powerful now. We were going to sail up the river when wind and tide suited but as it happened the time had come for me to put away the charter boat so I picked Teal up on the way and we towed her up to the boatyard where she is waiting to be lifted. Hopefully straight on to the trailer.
Sorry my phone camera is rubbish.