Well the truth is not so very far forward...
Progress remains painfully slow with a definite 3 steps forward 2 steps back feel to it; given the tuck at the stern we have now cracked 3 planks, all of which have required lengthy and time consuming repairs and yesterday saw us steam 2 planks into place only to have one decide it was going to completely change shape due to the run of the grain and end up looking like a corkscrew. The only solution is now to cut the end of the plank, re-spile the front 5 feet, cut, shape and scarph in a new for'ard section and then re-steam it.
Work has now begun on the centre plate case and today I will order the wood for the spars and mast.
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| These two photographs show work under way on effecting a repair to the for'ard end of one of the planks, as you can see once again I am using the worlds supply of clamps and there is probably an entire sector of the adhesives industry currently being supported by my efforts. |
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| The process of steaming underway, a now well trodden path! |
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| Steaming!!! |
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| This is a repair, called a graving piece, basically where there is a significant knot you cut out a neat diamond,, circle or square to about a third to half the depth of the plank and then insert a piece of plank. |
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| The graving piece inserted and glued in place |
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| the repair planned up and good to go... |
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The only tragedy is that having carefully completed the graving piece and making good we now have to chop the front of the plank off.
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