Ballast on

We got the ballast fitted this morning. We tried torching on felt to the plaster
we had faired the ballast off with but it keep flaking off so we just chipped it
off and torched the felt straight on to the iron. A bit of shuffling about with the
forklift and we had it in place.
We had the keel bolts put through the ballast before we lifted it to place so
we then just had push them through the keel with a car jack, put on the metal
plates, washers and torque up the nuts.
There is a small gap between the aft end of the ballast and the keel as we still
don't have the fore and aft bolts made, so we decided not to bother setting her
up to her water line until they are made and fitted as it will involve lifting the
boat over head on the forklift to fit them. The problem is that the ballast
casting is not perfectly flat and the bottom of the keel is, so the only solution is
to bolt it all up tight. In the mean time weight of the boat is now sitting on the
ballast so that will hopefully help it settle in place.

Sorry for the poor quality pics, I forgot my camera.

The centerline structure

Few pics of the finished bits. Took down timber to make the new stand for her.
Planing on fitting the ballast first thing Monday morning.

Frames, floors,deadwood, sternpost, sternknee and transom

apron, bowknee and mast step

Stem, apron, keel joint

Still need to get proper bolts for the stem

Forward frame, apron and bow knee

False keel and aft deadwood

Ready for ballast

Ready for ballast

We finished out the framing today, fitted the last new floor, sealed over all the
bolt heads on the underside of the keel and faired off the top of the ballast
with cement so its all ready to go back on. Hopefully we can get the
forklift free later in the week to lift it in place. We are also going to set her up
by her waterline when the ballast is on and support her with the hull clear for
planking.
Heres a few of Ken's pics of recent work in progress.

Marking bevels for the hoodends on the inner face of the stem

Lower half of apron being test fitted

Cutting doubling pieces, Piskie in the back ground

It was a rare hot day, so a pre-war hillyard provided shade.

It wasn't ok

My Tealasaurus

Ok so I could probably have found something more worthwhile to do
with my time but I needed to get this stuff out of my workshop anyway
and I had wanted to lay it all out with a while.
Its funny I thought that all this stuff was ok when I bought the boat and
I'm a carpenter, and used to working on boats. I guess its a good lesson
on surveying a wooden boat in future and as a rule of thumb I now know
if its a hundred years old and hasn't been rebuild or had regular work done
then IT NEEDS extensive work.
Those rotten rusty bolts in your bilge are not best "left alone". Change them.

The ballast is going back on in the coming week so I had the keel bolts
retreaded and last two frames are cut ready for fitting. I am short two smaller
diameter keel bolts but I will fit them when the boat is nearly complete as I'll
have to have it lifted over head to bore the keel for them. We simply didn't
have the bit to suit when drilling for the others.

At 32mm diameter they are substantial bolts. The remainder are 26mm

Bow knee & mast step fitted

We started today by fitting two more frames, making two doubling
pieces and fitting another floor. Once they were in, we bolted in the
bow knee and mast step, Sounds quick but it took the whole day. I
was hoping to get the last frames and floor cut out, remove the fastenings
and plug them ready for the new frames but we didn't have time. Either
way the whole new center line structure is now in and bolted up.

Few more bolts to put through the bow knee and one keelbolt will go through  it as well 

Bit of a reminder 

Hard to make out whats what isn't it

Painting ballast

Got the grinder out today and wire brushed the ballast keel, then gave it
two coats of Aldi's finest metal paint. I wasn't too particular about it. I
just got rid of any loose stuff and painted it up, after all its not going to
rust away to nothing.
I also cut the bow knee out roughly to shape, I will finish that off at home
tomorrow.
I then set about removing the skylight from Piskie, Liam is planing on having
an open well, working boat style, so his skylight will become obsolete and
I was planning on copying his so that worked out nicely. It seems in pretty
good shape, I made a start on stripping the paint when I got home, 2 of the
panes of glass need changing but it should do the trick nicely.

2 pairs of frames to go

Fitted another pair of frames today and cut out another floor and one of the
remaining pairs of frames. I need to get them done so I can bolt the last two
new floors in before the ballast goes on.

Also I may as well mention that my other boat Providence is up for sale,
She can be seen here http://www.findafishingboat.com/cheverton-grp/DB47762
just in case anyone is interested :)

The bow knee and mast step will go in next.