More planks are being removed toward the bow of the ship. This is exposing the frames, below the water line, for inspection. The shipwrights then determine the quantity of timber that will be needed to be purchased for repairs. This hardwood timber is however becoming harder to source.
Each removed item has a particular place to be returned to. No knee is the same as the any other in shape, angle or thickness. As items are removed they are labeled and this labeling needs to be retained through all repairs and painting.
Yesterday’s storm has damaged the protective canopy over the Alma Doepel. Winds up to 90 kl. per hour hit the Docklands area and tore the vinyl covering and damaged the supporting timbers. This will take considerable time and cost to repair.
The steaming machine has been again used for small timber pieces. This machine is able to steam timber from 6metre planks to the small, thin pieces used for repairing lodgings knees.
After assessing the the stern deck structure ( new carlings and deck beams ) it was deemed advantageous to repair several lodging knees and to build several new knees. The new knees will be place at junctions where there were no knees previously. This will add extra strength to hull and decking.
The timber is a seasoned hardwood and the thin laminating strips have been produced “ripped” from the same hardwood. All our glue has again been donated by Hempel.
The 2 carlings have been placed under the raised Master’s cabin and the deck beams and lodging knees joined appropriately. The carlings are the beams under the port and starboard sides of the cabin. The bottom photo shows all the timbers are primed indicating that the shipwrights have finished adjusting the levels for the deck. The middle photo – the starboard side – was finished also and primed just after the photo was taken.
Great progress has been by the shipwrights, with assistance from the volunteers, to repair the stern of the ship. When the supports were removed several weeks ago the counter was measured to settled by mere millimeters. Other beams and timbers were then able to be replaced or installed. The photos show the detailed and skilled joining of the timbers to maximize the strength of the hull. The bare timber is the result many hours of planing to the correct level to ensure that the deck planks are laid correctly. This bare timber has since been primed for protection until the deck is laid.
