Restoration Log,

Katarina

Page 3

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With stock in hand I removed the garboard (actually these were out right before hammering the internal ballast out onto my yard) and next three planks, cleaned up the hull and stripped the paint and removed the engine.  This engine (Perkins 20 hp) was brand new with the "new" interior, but based on advice from Ross Gannon (Gannon and Benjamin) on his visit, I replaced it with a Perkins 68hp.  Seeing much of her sailing will be in Maine and north in tide currents above 5 knots; this 20 hp would not move a 24,000lb boat with 12-foot beam.  At about this time we built a wood hoop shed around her so we could work through the winter.  During the winter we steam bent in new lower frames and sisters (3-4 planks (22"-24") either side of the old frame to new frame butts).  The Black Locust proved to be fine to bend but we kerfed them anyway since it is North America's second strongest wood and it relieves a bit of the internal bending pressure of so large a frame.  Red Lead was used liberally throughout.

Come March all the frames were done and my next step was sourcing out Long Leaf Yellow Pine in 10" X 6/4 X 22ft.  This I found through a place in New Haven CT. that reclaims wood from old factories.  The wood was like new and as straight and clear as could be, even at 200 years old.  I bought enough to replank to three boards above the waterline.  We spiled the garboards by April and fitted them with the help of a steam gum by August (real life and real job keeps getting in the way.  All planks were fastened with silica bronze.

During thw winter and spring the deck was striped of Glove-it ®, a nasty and useless (in this casew) material used to "seal" the deck.  It did not work and was cracked and separated in areas throughout the deck; a real nightmare.  The only good way to get it off was with a lot of heat, scraping, and muscle.  Chemical strippers (natural and bad) were tried to no avail, and sanding killed two sanders and countless pads.  The bowsprit was removed along with the bulwarks, both will be rebuilt taller (bulwarks) and longer (bowsprit).  In the case of the bowsprit it will be changed to an offset housing type with a running jib hoop and furling gear.