Putting the hull together.
The entire team were called together Friday week ago. They were making an attempt at putting the first plank on the boat and while the imagined bottles of champagne weren’t brought out, it was an interesting moment as the first plank went down on the boats frame.
Once the muttering and cajoling of the leads had subsided, we were in a position to say that the first plank was done. We were then in the position to put the primary plank on the other side on the following Monday and hopefully the rest of the planks on a regular basis over the weeks to follow.
It wasn’t all plain sailing though. On Monday last as we walked out the door, the sound you don’t what to hear was heard. A clamp had let go, snapped in fact and in the most tensioned part as well. A repair was made, but sure enough the team were back on the Wednesday and some work had to be done to fill and finish off the work. Not our finest moment.
So to Friday last and the first pair of planks (the garboards) were being shaped to the keelson and prepared ready for the second layer of planks that lay waiting on the side tables. But that wasn’t all we had to do; the shaping of the outer stems had finally finished and they were put aside ready for the planking to be finished. Timber has been found for the oars and work will commence on them by one of the teams.
A pleasant surprise with the visit of the club’s Vice Commodore Dave Ewart and once advised of the origins of the design of the skiffs; he mentioned that he had seen similar in his native Scotland. Hopefully the Vice will join us later on, once the boats have been built and are on the water.
A little aside:
The Carpenters Box mentioned in the last Coffee Pointers edition belonged to Cliff Spence, well know club member during the 1970’s and his son John donated his fathers carpentry box to the Bosuns Club where it is hard at work once again.
Rick Steuart
