michael mott

Very punctual - 8lb exactly - but no name as yet. Very happy.

I've made it about halfway through the decking. Just a slow process of cutting and laying planks one row at a time, trying to keep them parallel with the centerline. It's definitely more challenging with home-cut planks as every strip has slightly variable dimensions, so laying out each run is time-consuming. I'm definitely still an amateur at cutting out consistent scale lumber. Therefore this has been a lot more like planking a hull, in which each deck plank is a mini-project, than planking a deck with nice consistent commercial strips. So I end up laying a couple strips every evening, or whenever I can steal a bit of time. But here's what it looks like so far:

The photo makes it look better than it is; the work is actually pretty rough. The planks are thicker than I initially intended, and the surface is pretty variable. I intend to sand the deck down smooth once the planking is done. There are also some disturbing gaps between some plank edges that I expect to need some sawdust filler on. The good news is that (a) unlike a sailing vessel, most of this deck will be relatively hidden, and (b), it's supposed to look rough-built. 
 
You can see the two parallel lines of holes left in the decking, where the boiler deck support posts would go. If you recall the framing I built in the last update, I used that to lay out exactly where the posts should lie and carefully arranged the deck planking runs so that the post holes would fall within a single run of planks. 
 
I started at the center and worked my way out, to help ensure that everything stayed parallel to the hull. This has worked well, but its downside is that the "best" planking got laid down the center where it'll be mostly hidden while the most visible planking (along the outer guards) will be done with whatever dregs I haven't used yet. I may end up cutting some more planking to avoid this potential problem, as I can tell I'm slowly concentrating the most problematic pieces in the so-far-unused pile.
 
But it's progress, and I think will turn out well enough in the end. Thanks for sticking with the slow progress on this part.
 

Keith , having spent the last hour and a half starting at the beginning, it looks like a marvelous project. I will most certainly be following along and gleaning tips from your ingenious problem solving skills.  The comment about the breakfast counter made me laugh. It looks like you will have some fun with the bright-work and all those panels. 
Good to hear you are well, and getting stuck into the prep for the start of keel laying.
 
Michael

Roger,
Interesting - another example of code based engineering. I once had to investigate an incident with a plane that landed at Kansai International Airport with a 2kg Heathrow landing light retaining ring embedded in its hull (but fortunately not the pressure hull). Kansai were not impressed! The retaining bolts for the ring had all sheared off allowing it to become loose and presumably it had been flipped out of its seating by the nose wheel on take off. During the investigation it became clear that the code had first been formulated some 50 years previously and the calculations within it were based on the wheel loadings of a DC-3. The wheel loadings of Boeing 747's are somewhat higher than those of a Douglas DC-3's. Some codes now allow for engineering analysis in lieu of historic precedent but I accept this isn't always the case. I wonder when the 1ft rule was first formulated and what specific geometries and loading conditions it was designed to accommodate. However "The Rules is the Rules" as they say.
 
At least I now know how wide to make Cangarda's porthole strake = porthole diameter plus 2 feet.

Keith,
 
Cangarda’s restoration was described in three papers presented at Classic Yacht Symposiums held jointly by SNAME and the Herreshoff Marine Museum In 2006, 2008, and 2010.  I know that you have some of the papers but I thought that the following would still be of interest.
 
As Bob Cleek explains she is required to be licensed by the US Coast Guard (USCG).  Her license does not permit her to carry passengers for hire.
 
Her owner also chose for her to be classified (for an insurance rating) by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).  ABS rules are not necessarily  the same as USCG.  Satisfying both was a major problem.  ABS was particularly difficult as no one there knew much about designing a reciprocating steam plant.
 
Neither USCG or ABS would agree to a riveted hull- corrosion concerns at the rivet hole- frame interface.  This required a new welded hull.  Some of the bulkheads from the original hull were salvaged and used.
 
Like many modern high end yachts, the as welded hull was “faired”.  The entire hull was covered with an Epoxy based fairing compound and then hand sanded with two man longboards.  A model of the restored Cangarda would, therefore, not show plating seams.
 
The deck is all wood engineered to meet ABS requirements as the upper “flange” of the hull girder.  It consists of two layers of 3/4in plywood with an inter layer of Epoxy bedded fiberglass.  The teak on top of the plywood is six quarter material; 1-1/2” thick!  As Bob points out, there are no fasteners in the teak.  The papers do not explain how the teak is bonded to the ply. There is apparently no steel deck plating beneath the plywood.
 
All of the equipment in the engine room except the boiler is original:  The main engine, two feed pumps, the circulating water pump, the air pump,  the bilge pump, various gages, and even the electric switchboard.  
 
The restoration benefited from a previous owner who removed a tremendous amount of material, including the Cuban Mahogany deck structures, and carefully stored it.  He, the previous owner, sent the main engine to England to be restored.
 
Finally, after all of this meticulous restoration, she was hauled to an ordinary boat launch ramp on a low-boy trailer.  As she entered the water she capsized but righted herself!  The only damage was to one of her stabilizer fins.
 
Roger
 
 
 
 
 

Early post restoration photos appear to feature what i would recognise as a modern representation of a traditional block.

Lots of nice work there Maury, The metal work is fiddly stuff but rewarding when it comes together well.
 
Michael

I have added a few more planks. This planking is far more stressful that when I planked up the cutter, because on that hull it was all strip planked and on this hull I am trying to follow the real planking as best as I can, so it is a little bit slower going.

 

 

 
Michael
 

Now that's thinking outside the border!
 
Michael

It is almost back to normal now. Should be 100% by tomorrow night. We've lived here over 20 years and this is the second rain storm that the sewer system couldn't handle the run off. After the first we made sure to get everything off the floor but over time the memory fades and we get lazy. Not too much lost but the perimeter drywall got a good soaking. Some boxes ruined, stuff for donation turned to garbage and one extension cord to our cycle gone kaput. Most stuff was in rubbermaid tote boxes so that was fine No tools lost but all my sawdust was caked to the floor of the shop with a trail to the drain. Three stains on the floor to deal with.
I built extra shelves well off the floor yesterday for any new stuff. The fans have done a good job drying things out but the humidity has gone to my paper plans hanging in the corner. At least the model was upstairs on the dining room table so she is fine.
I'll be installing a stand pipe rubber gasket in the floor drain for next time. 

I had an extra deep basement dug in July during a drought.  It was stopped when limestone shale was hit in one corner.   In the Bluegrass region of KY, the underlying rock is an an ancient sea floor and just as flat.  It is a giant swimming pool.  Turns out that for six months of the year, the water table was well above the floor of my basement.   I became quite experienced with sump pumps, pipe flow volumes.  It seems that constant pumping generates favored flow channels.  The more you pump the more likely is ground water  going to flow towards the pump.  Larger volume pumps, larger diameter discharge pipes - where to place the outlet?  a viscous cycle!   Then there is the problem of electric power interruption during storms that are recharging the ground water.  A generator.   A normal home generator has a gas tank with limited time.  An ice storm that crushed a lot of KY and had long transmission lines in Alabama snapped off like a row of dominoes and drawing off the repair crews from KY is going to require more time than you have gas for.    I feel your nightmare.  I do not miss living it.   A wish for a basement decision do-over is something that I will take to my grave. 

Ouch, I had a flooded basement last year (though that was due to a major failure of a water heater). Hope the damage is not too bad 😬.

Since it was raining quite alot this weekend I decided to go down to my basement shop to make the additional deck clamps.
Discovered about 2 inches of water had flooded the basement coming up from the floor drain.
The wife and I have been purging, cleaning, drying it all out since. Taking our first trip to the city dump tomorrow morning.
 

Yuk!

Oh dear, indoor swimming pool. Last night we had a electrical surge that resulted in fire in 4 homes in my neighborhood including mine when one of the multi plug strips burst into fire. We were luck that we were home that night. 

Now that's thinking outside the border!
 
Michael

Now that's thinking outside the border!
 
Michael

Now that's thinking outside the border!
 
Michael

Now that's thinking outside the border!
 
Michael

Now that's thinking outside the border!
 
Michael

Many years ago I picked up a child's wooden jigsaw puzzle at a craft store.  The multiple shapes and angles come in very handy as a sanding block.


 
Regards,
Henry
 

If you have a scroll saw, a bandsaw,  or a hand frat saw,  and a disk sander  a near infinite variety  of sanding block shapes and sizes can be freed from a cork yoga block.  They are sorta large and cost ~$20.  The sanding media can be attached using rubber cement or even with staples. 

I don't want to hijack Michael's wonderful thread but here are a couple of photos of my project, the first being the historic model in its current (incorrectly-rigged) form.

We’ll you know what they say……..
•No pictures….it didn’t happen*
 
Rob😏

Thanks Tom I appreciate that. Thanks to everyone for your kind comments. I did some more work on the galley and have soldered the top to the sink and used the sheet metal drill for the drain pipe.
 

 

 
I have given the wood a good coat of tung oil and will give it another coat later.
 
Michael