Fitting rubbing bands

The 'underground' boat house has not been a success and although I squeezed two Redwings in there for the early spring it is too damp and dirty and the roof drips lime-laden water everywhere so the boats have to remain sheeted over even though they are indoors.  I got 'Pintail' out as soon as possible and 'Talofa' is going into temporary storage back at the old shed whilst the owner's cars are out for the summer - but no workshop facilities exist there now.
So, here, working outdoors I have got around to fitting Nanw's rubbing bands as the originals just below the land of the top strake. The douglas fir had been machined to a 'D' section but a test bend showed that they would probably fracture if I tried to force them to Nanw's curvature.  I set up a 3m length of 100mm polyduct with the end capped and filled it with water and left the two sections' forward ends to soak for a few weeks and then last week gave them an hour in the steam box.  They bent OK except where I'd pre-drilled them, where kinks and cracks appeared. Clamped in place a screw was placed through every other frame.
Another job nearly completed - some work now needed to enable her to carry a simple lugsail and then finish the painting.


Rubbing bead bent around and fastened. The block on her transom is to ship a rowlock for sculling and is an original fitment.

Simple 'D' section rubbing band fitted. Just needs trimming back.

It was the forward end of the rubber that needed steaming since the greatest curvature is here.