All new timbers in place

Finally I have steamed and bent in all the replacement timbers into Nanw. All the thwarts were removed and replaced with spalls to hold the sides together and, in the bow, to hold the sides apart as she wants to close in due to the pressure from the new planks and battens. The ribs in the bow were more difficult to fit than expected, due to quite a lot of twist needed to make them lie against the lands and they may have benefited from being 'hot-nailed' in place as soon as they were bent, to make them stay put.
I surprised myself by not breaking any of the new ribs in the process of fitting them. Therefore about 8 or so left over which I hope to use in another boat very soon before they dry out.
There is a bit of nailing up still to be done before the temporary G-clamps can be removed finally. A really worthwhile job was stripping, sanding and priming the inside of the hull as the old ribs were torn out. Once the job is all painted the boat will look like a new one - inside at least!

Priming the fore peak. She was closing in without the foreward thwart.

All new timbers finally fitted - just need fastening now.

More on timbering

We have been making steady progress with re-timbering Nanw. It was decided to take out 'batches' of timbers in sections and to date the mid ships and forward areas has been done and re-fastened to just below sheer strake level. We have just steamed another six in place aft of the after thwart so she is done to the transom. Progress is a bit faltering as I have to 'borrow' helpers to do the nailing.
The virgin timber is wrapped up in polythene and damp towels to prevent it drying out but it cannot stay like that forever, obviously, and the new wood is blackening with mould.
One job I have been able to do on my own to follow up the main nailing is to make and insert wedges between the timbers and the upper strakes to support them for when the inwale is eventually fastened through. Originally the timbers stopped short under the inwale timber which was fastened to the walestrake and knees only. I have decided to give her an open 'box' type gunwale with the timbers finishing flush with the sheer - a stronger and lighter arrangement.

Wedges fitted behind timbers. Black spots are from the clamps and will be hidden eventually.

After section of the boat cleaned out ready for timbering

Fastening Timbers

The first 'batch' of timbers bent and clamped in place were left until I could get back to the shed with a helper to 'back up' I.e. Hold the 'dolly' on the nail heads as I fit roves and do the riveting. I was going to rely on an old buddy and partner in various trad boat projects but he suddenly and unexpectedly passed away at the end of March which was a sad loss.  He has left me with another project ( a 25' ex. Admiralty launch to continue restoring alone and about which will be the subject of future posts) but without help for fastening where it takes two. For the planking repairs I have been able to reach and hold the dolly as I work inside but to do the timbers needs two and I have had to press-gang various people in to helping me with the job which has slowed progress.
Back to the fastening: once cool and dry the timbers retain their shape so can be un clamped and positioned as accurately as possible. I needed to use the existing fastening holes through the lands so had to mark and hold the timber in place whilst drilling through from the outside. We started at the hog and worked up each timber towards the sheer pulling the frame in tight to the lands.

First set of mid ships frames fastened

Steaming Timbers - Part 2

The previously tested steam tube was lashed to the side of the boat so I could get hold of the timbers from inside the boat and the gas lit.  As I was unsure quite how long to 'cook' the wood for I prepared just two timbers by planing chamfers on the inner edges and slid them into the tube. I had read that one should allow half and hour per half  an inch of timber thickness. I decided to give them 40 minutes and that seemed to be just about right.  It seems to me that boiling the timber for too long will drive the tannic out of the wood making it brittle and more prone to premature decay. The first timber came out and working inside the boat I forced the hot timber down and persuaded it to touch all the lands before clamping it at the sheer. Then pressing down the other side and with the clamp not fully tightened the timber head was hammered hard to press it tight into place. The other soon followed and then I prepared another four timbers and forty minutes later these joined the others in their allotted places.
When cool these will be cleaned up and fastened and then another section of the boat will be stripped out forward of the mid ships thwart.

First two timbers pressed into place at last.

Mid ships set of timbers fitted ready for fastening.

Steaming Timbers - Part 1

I had prepared all the equipment needed to steam and bend in the new timbers whilst waiting for the oak to arrive.
The ribs in Nanw are longer (2.5m) than those I'd ever fitted to a Redwing or similar dinghy as she is a rowing boat and not divided by a centreplate case.  Therefore I had to make a new steamer.  For this I selected a 3m length of 150mm dia 'spiral duct' of galvanised steel; a wooden disc plugged one end and a batten was made to run the length of the tube to support the timbers being steamed. Insulated by old duvets, discarded by my wife, all held in place by cable ties.
Steam is provided by a large old kettle with electric element removed and heated by a gas burner. It is also arranged to use steam from a DIY wallpaper stripper which can be only be used intermittently as the generator that supplies power to the shed is 'only' 2.5kVA and all the lights have to be off to power the steamer!

150mm dia duct being prepared for use as a steamer

Steam producing apparatus in place. Bucket collects the condensation.

Preparing 'Nanw' for re-timbering

'Nanw' our 15' clinker pulling boat has not got one un-decayed or damaged timber (rib or frame) in her.  Her frames are at 6" centres and are of 1-1/8" by 5/8" oak. I noticed when I was stripping her out that there is little or no paint under the floor boards (burden-boards), and this, plus being always out in the open and filling with rain, had probably lead to the demise of her frames.
There are 29 timbers in total from transom to stem and some suitable new unseasoned timber is on order.  Whilst awaiting delivery I have removed six of the longest frames in the mid-ships area and cleaned and primed the inside in readiness. I have fitted temporary battens around the outside at gunwale level and removed the local sections of inwale to allow the new frames to run out each side and to provide something to clamp them to as it is intended to steam-bend and then cold fix the frames later. The unpainted patches are where there is damaged bottom planking that will be repaired later when the boat has been re-timbered and strong enough to be safely turned upside down.

Removing old frames by sawing and splitting.

Inside cleaned out and primed in way of six of the mid ships frames.

Redwing 'Pintail' spring preparations

With the 2015 sailing season fast-approaching we broke off from working on Nanw the 15' clinker rowing boat to do some fettling work on Pintail our National Redwing dinghy that we enjoy sailing a couple of times a week during the summer.
Having the use of the shed has made looking after the boat much easier and she only needs a good clean and a bit of varnish touching up - 'scratch and patch' - mainly inside on the edges of the thwarts and coamings where there is wear and tear. After that the buoyancy bags needed re-inflating and the rigging and mast checking over.  Nowadays the Redwings have modern alloy spars as standard and these match the powerful sails very well.  Wooden spars are an option still in the class but we gave Pintail alloy spars when she was built in 1989 and they are still good today with minimal maintenance.
Although she is now over twenty five years old Pintail remains tight and completely free of leaks despite being 'dry-sailed'.  I must admit to liking an all-over varnish finish as it gives a 'window into the wood' to monitor the health of the timber and fastenings. On Pintail there is the typical staining of her Agba planking around the fastenings caused by gradual oxidisation of the copper. However it is normally the rove on the inside that will eventually give way - but so far Pintail is OK here.

Pintail on her trailer and ready to go down to the harbour.

Pintail's varnish patched up and buoyancy refitted.