Elia

Thanks Elmer Cornish and everyone else!
 
Here are some of the latest photos. The first few show the hull with the deck template and the side of the hull being prepared for opening up, so that the internal accommodation can be eventually viewed. The rest of the photos show the hull after the frames have been cutaway. Luckily the hull is structurally strong enough to withstand the hull's side being cut open in such a way. Not for the faint hearted, because, once it's cut, there's no turning back!
 
Anyhow, enjoy the photos.
 
Cheers

Take a breath folks. I finished applying the finish....
 
The good, it turned out nice dark brown (not as black as on the pictures) and the structure of the wood is still a bit visible. The joints of the planks appear slightly visible so it does not look like one big plank.
 
The bad, I made 400 treenails disappear, only when the light hits at a certain angle they are barely visible and the stain is a bit blotchy, applying more coats made it better but also made the treenails less visible. Only one run out at a spot I didn't want, under the strern
 
I also applied the finish (tung oil) it's still drying hence the glossy look at the moment. That will disappear once dry and a quick while with a Scotch pad. Then I can add bolts at the plank ends.
 

 

 

 
Remco

Earlier than my steering wheel endeavor I had fabricated the cat heads and installed the chainplates. All of the deck furniture remains only temporarily placed for context.
 


 


 
Funny thing about the deadeyes - they don't want to stand upright, as in the photos. They lay over, free on their pivot pins...
 
And last, but not least, thank you to all those who've 'liked' my updates!
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Finally an update.
 
I have managed to get a few coats of paint on the hull. It is getting there. Maybe another coat and then the red underbody.
 
The deck house is coming along. I had tried stick framing the deck house, but I think the solid bulkheads work better at this scale. I have begun planking the shell to give it that finished look. Still a ways to go on this piece.
 
Questions and comments welcomed.
 
Russ
 

Not much to show for last weekend's work.  The garden has taken over most of my free time.  I have completed the upper deck hatches and ladderway.  The head ledges are bolted to the deck and the coamings are treenailed.  Even though I used a light colored wood for the treenails (bamboo) they are barely visible.  The nails securing the grating battens to the ledges were made by making a dimple with the point of a compass and then highlighting it with pencil. I scribed the main hatch cover to simulate a three piece cover.Openings have been cut into the aft hatch cover to accommodate the main jeer bitt pin. This will not be installed until I am ready to work on the quarter deck beams to prevent damage.
 

 

 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 62 – Lower deck framing continued
 
Thank you all for the comments and the likes on the last posts.  Work continues.
 
Once the deck beams are fitted, the deck framing is all about knees.  Below is a set of lodging knees that have been fitted between two beams.
 

 
Monofilament dummy bolts have been CA glued in and sliced off flush.  The knees now will be sanded to remove all trace of the CA and to round off the bottom edge.  Note in this picture the two dashed lines on the drawing running parallel to the side.  The upper line is the inside edge of the waterway.  This will cover the butting of the knees as well as the ends of the ledges.
 
In the next picture one of the generic-shaped lodging cut earlier knees is being fit.
 

 
For the lodging knees this is mainly a matter of beveling the edge to fit the frames and to adjust the fore and aft width.  The next picture shows the fit from above.
 

 
In the next picture the forward pair of lodging knees and the hanging knees under the next beam have been installed.
 

 
Fitting of the hanging knees involves quite a bit of trimming of the original cut-out shapes due to the change in hull curvature.  I suspect a bit more lofting work would have been helpful. 
 
I am following up the beam installation progressively with the carlings and ledges.  In the next picture a ledge is being marked for cutting – held by a surgical clamp.
 

 
The ledges are not rounded, so they need to be faired off to match the beams.  A small sanding block is being used in the next picture to fair off the top of all the framing.
 

 
The last picture shows the framing completed thus far.
 

 
The waterways will put a neat cap at the side on the intersection of all these deck members with the frames at the side.
 
Ed

Daniel,the keelson is massive. The lower and middle deck beams are 17" wide by 14" deep, the carlings 10" x 7" and the ledges 9" x 7". These dimensions were taken from a description of Challenge, a Webb extreme clipper launched about two years before Young America - of about the same size.  It seems a logical assumption.
 
The scale is 1:72 - and working space is limited toward the bow as you can see in the pictures.  Holding the hanging knees in place to check fit is awkward.  Yesterday I re-lofted the hanging knees for all decks to reduce the amount of trimming needed on the few "generic" shapes I had been using to start.
 
Ed

Alan, I'll plank her on one side from the whole up.
Piet, yes it's fun to make your own tools, but there is a risk of wanting more tools, my mini late isn't really up to the task to use as a mill for bigger parts. shallow cuts and a lot of patience was needed and even then it chattered. Please Santa can I have a bigger mill???
Mark, yes it works well up until now. Better keep the stain well away from any parts I don't want to stain. 
Here's a discarded plank with the edge already stained next to a real ebony plank
 

 
Remco
 
 

A little progress on the whales, but first tool time.
I should have bought the rip taper jig from Jim when I ordered my table saw. Unsure why I didn't at the time. I made my own version. A few brass bars, aluminum plate & bolts assembled in the right way makes a very useful tool.
 

 

 

 
The whales are made from pear tinted with Fieblings (mahogany and black 6:1) The edges are pre painted as if fear for the paint running into places it shouldn't the sides will first be sanded flush before I can paint it. All planks are pre bend using a steam iron and the admiral's hair dryer
 
All looks a bit messy at this point
 

 

 
Remco

Mike,
 
Thank you for your intrest and no I don't mind all the questions
 
The basic tools I use are (very) sharp chisels and surgical blades, files and sometimes a plane. All finishing is done with quality sandpaper and the trick is to always glue the sandpaper to a hard surface. I incorporated my own version of a 'true sander' in a small work surface that I can easily slide out of the way (together with all the tools scattered  around it) so I can pull the hull close by to work on the hull.
 


 
A glass plate with different grades of paper to flatten or thin down parts and small sanding sticks, I make different ones for different purposes like the ones to sand the deck beams.
 


 
The joints for the deck beams are marked and cut with a chisel, usually on the bench and never in situ except when I did http://modelshipworl...1385926869.jpeg but that was just me being dumb.  
 

 
For finish I used tungoil until, but now I'm switching to microcrystalline wax as it's less glossy. I prefer a flat finish so it's hard to see in the pictures where the finish is applied and where not.
 
Remco

Thanks for the likes and compliments.
 
Maury, Michael, the brass was hard bent off the model. Although 0.2 mm bends quite easily, making 90 degree bends was done on my hold and fold. the other shaping was done with round nosed pliers. Final adjustments were done on the model.
 
Meanwhile the lower counter is planked but not yet faired.
 

 
Remco

Thanks all.
 
Yes Mark the rabbet was cut using chisels, as it curves in two directions no way I could do it on a mill.
 
The parts that make up the helmport are an interesting exercise in testfitting to get them right
 

 

 

 

 

 
The straps to the counter timbers were cut from 0.2 mm brass sheet and bend to shape, 0.4 mm brass bolts (actually a bit oversized) were used to glue the strips down
 

 

 
Remco

Thanks all.
 
All the parts are glued in place and the stern is faired.
 

 
 
Remco

As I assemble and "hang" the frames, I fair the inside framing as I go.  I am saving the fairing of the outside of the hull until after I finish the framing of the hull.  I am also gluing in the filling pieces between the frames as I go.  
 
It is very important to securely bolt the keel down to the building board to minimize the warping of the keel as the drying of the glue may cause the stern and bow sections to bow up from the board.

When the Lettie was discovered after being abandoned the masts, bowsprit, and the windlass had been taken off the boat and mostly disassembled so I am not completely sure this is the correct windlass.  I got this design from Chapelle’s “The American Fishing Schooner”.  I think it will do.  It is mounted on a temporary base and I will be taking it all apart and painting some of the parts before mounting it on the boat.  I have to admit I had a lot of fun with the linkage.  I wish I had kept time on this I figure somewhere between 12 and 20 hours.
 
Bob
 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your interest in the "Newsboy" 1854 build log,
 
Next steps are mast and top fabrication.  Key points include:
 
>>> Masts were turned from oversize dowels to provide material for the sq. sections at the tops
>>> Upper mast sections were shaped using a disk sander/chisels
>>> Cross trees and fore top framing were fabricated from laminated stripwood
>>> Cross trees and fore top were dry fitted to upper mast sections during fabrication
>>> Fore top coaming was formed from 1/32" x 1/8" basswood stripwood using a male/female former (illustrated)
>>> Fore top fabrication based on design developed from contemporary ship model plans
>>> Buntline blocks were fitted to the fore top per Rigging Set Up Lists
>>> Base for fore lower topsail yard strut was fitted to the fore top per Rigging Set Up Lists
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Thank you for your interest in "Newsboy" 1854,
 
As I completed the hull and hull outfit, I started to examine the masts, spars, and rigging.  After consultation with a number of master builders at the USS Constitution Ship Modelers Guild; I decided to fit a full fore top in lieu of the cross trees shown on the original plans.  Key points include:
 
>>> Full fore top more typical on fully rigged ships
>>> Cross trees more typical in schooner rigged vessels
>>> Curved fore top provides improved clearance for rotating yards/sails when tacking 
>>> New fore top design based on drawings of other contemporary vessels
>>> New fore top sized to suit original cross trees
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Thank you for your interest in "Newsboy" 1854,
 
Next step is rigging planning / setup.  1st step is to develop a "Standing and Running Rigging Table" in a similar form to that found in Steel's Elements of Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging (1794).  The table lists each rigging line, size, color, fittings, etc.  Data is taken from the plans and compared to data from other ships.  Rigging lines, chains, blocks, deadeyes, etc. are sized based on standard rigging materials I have in stock (note that I was unable to post a sample).
 
2nd step is developing rigging setup lists where rigging lines, blocks, and fittings are assigned to individual spars for pre outfit installation prior to mounting aloft.  Lists are prepared for the hull, bullwarks, masts, and individual spars.  A sample is shown below:
 
Fore Upper Topsail Yard
 
(2) .015” x 1/16” brass bands (parrel hinges)
(1) .015” x 1/16” brass strip & 1/32” brass tube (parrel assembly)
(3) 1/16” Bristol board yard bands
(2) Drill holes for (2) yard sheaves (topgallant sheets)
(2) Studding boom quarter iron
(2) 3/32” Eyebands
(2) Studding boom irons
(20) Small eyebolts (jackstays)
(2) .020” Brass rod (jackstays)
(2) 3/32” Brass split rings w .015” black line (foot ropes)
(2) Small eyebolts w .015” black line (Flemish horses)
(2) Medium eyebolts w 3.5mm D blocks (topgallant sheets & upper topsail downhauls)
(2) 3.5mm S blocks (upper topsail downhauls)
(2) Medium eyebolts w .010” black line (loose servings) (upper topsail yard lifts)
(2) .015” black line 2” w 4mm S blocks (upper topsail yard brace pendants)
 
The following picture illustrates initial pre outfit based on these setup lists.
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Welcome to the "Newsboy" 1854 build log,
 
1st the spars.  Key points include:
 
>>> Studding booms and studding irons were added (not shown on original plans)
>>> Spar design sketches were prepared using parabolic camber
>>> Spars were turned from birch dowels using a Jet mini-lathe
>>> Spars were turned using fine sanding sticks
>>> A digital caliper is a great tool for checking diameter during turning
>>> Rigging ironwork was a combination of Britania castings (Bluejacket) and silver brazed brass fittings (see photo)
>>> Design of rigging ironwork based on contemporary rigging plans
>>> Initial spar outfit based on Rigging Setup Lists
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Earlier than my steering wheel endeavor I had fabricated the cat heads and installed the chainplates. All of the deck furniture remains only temporarily placed for context.
 


 


 
Funny thing about the deadeyes - they don't want to stand upright, as in the photos. They lay over, free on their pivot pins...
 
And last, but not least, thank you to all those who've 'liked' my updates!
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

This past winter and spring I pondered how to fabricate a few of the remaining deck furniture  details for Arethusa.  The steering wheel, the cat heads, and potentially remaking the deck pumps, due to the fact that over time, as I stared at my original sculpey ones, I found them a little less than attractive.  We’ll see if I remake the pumps or not.
 
The Gloucester schooners of the late 1800s and early 1900s employed cast steering wheels over the built-up wooden wheels we see on many earlier period ships.  One of the principal manufacturers of the cast wheels was A.P. Stoddard Company of Gloucester, MA.  The wheels contained a cast rim, a cast hub, and 8 spoke/handles.  The overall dimensions of the wheels ranged from about 30 inches in diameter (of the rim) to 36 inches diameter.  
 
The design I am using was for Elsie, a similar vintage and approximately similar sized schooner to Arethusa.  The Elsie plans from Model Shipways contain views of the wheel, but enlarged to 1/24 scale, twice the size of my model.  This wheel was also printed in a series of articles Erik A.R. Ronnberg wrote from the Nautical Research Guild's Journal in the 1990s. (I think).  So I used CAD at work to create a 1/48 scale set of ‘wheel’ drawings.  Since the wheel details are quite small at 1/48 scale, I only focused on the major geometric details.  The Elsie wheel is 48 inches (true) from brass cap of one handle to the opposite side handle brass cap.  The rim is 36 inches OD, and 30 inches ID.
 
In this post I’ll show you my approach to making the ships wheel.  What follows is my fourth or fifth attempt at the wheel.  I first tried making one from sheet styrene.  No luck.  Then I tried using boxwood and styrene.  Again failure.  I followed that up with an all boxwood wheel’s rim.  Nope, no good.  At the top of my wish list of of modeling power tools is a lathe… but with largish scale home projects ongoing I can’t justify such a purchase right now.
 
What I found I was struggling with was the fact that the flanges and the web of the rim as very thin at 1/48 scale.  Couple that with a detail the cast rims present - ‘cylindrical’ swells around each spoke at the rim - and, well, I was stumped.  Then, one night something struck me - why not make the rim’s web from two thin sheets of brass.  Once I had the ‘rings’ of the web formed it seemed it shouldn’t be too difficult to crimp them around spokes, or at least spoke mandrels. 
In my ‘brass’ box I had a nice amount of 1/64” thick by 1/16” wide K&S brass strips.  I also had brass sheets stock but attempts to cut out the rings to an acceptable shape proved difficult for me.  I annealed the 1/64 x 1/16 strips and found a suitable mandrel with which to form the web rings.  
 

 
The mandrel was part of a VW Passat B5 tie rod extraction tool (from a past project/era).  I first crudely formed the strips into flat rings, re-annealing throughout the forming, to allow the rings to take a smooth shape.  I then used the mandrel to allow final forming along the underside of the bolt head (following picture).  
 

 
The ring’s ends were then soldered together to form what are essentially thin brass washers.  For this step I used silver solder paste and my butane torch.
 
The next picture shows the crimping of the two ring webs around 0.020 brass rod, which at scale is slightly larger than correct, but available and easy to work with.  These are demonstration rings, as my originals had passed this point of the process before I paused long enough to consider taking pictures.  I used the CAD print to mark where the spokes would be placed.
 

 
Once all of the crimping around the spoke locations was complete I soldered the two web sides together.  For this solder step I used Stay Brite silver solder, which has a melting temp in the somewhere around ~500F.  I soldered in every-other ‘bay’ between spoke locations.  I did that so that when I soldered the flanges onto the rim I could alternate bay locations, providing some ‘distance’ between soldered joints in an attempt to minimize secondary or tertiary soldering from undoing prior soldered sections.
 
I used my trusty mandrel to form the inner flange of the rim, fitted it to the inside of the web ring, trimmed it, and soldered it on place, using the designated ‘clear’ bays for soldering.
 


 
I then used a wooden dowel as a back stop and drilled though the inner flange with my dremel.
 

 
Nearing the completion of the rim I used another mandrel to form the outer flange.  I clamped it in place, marked the spoke locations, and drilled the holes using the prior mentioned drill setup.
 
Parts were filed, flux was applied.  I used some of those 0.020 inch brass rods to maintain alignment of the holes to the rim web.  I used clamps to keep everything in place.  I snipped tiny pieces of TIX solder (melt temp around 270F), and located them.  Heat was then applied.  It looked great.  Really sweet.  I took off the clamps and went to remove the brass rods.  Oh CRUD!  [actually, insert colorful sailor language here].  The flux and solder had run…and the brass rods were soldered in.  I tried heat with the soldering iron, but no luck.  I was concerned about applying too much heat and having other portions of the assembly come apart.  So I set about marking and drilling out the brass rod material.  It worked OK, although the holes weren’t quite as well located as the originals.
 
On the second portion of the outer flange I chose to omit the brass rod ‘alignment’ aids and it all worked out well.
 

 
So here is the rim essentially completed.  The swells in the rim web are visible, and the rim flanges are reasonably to scale.   It is a little larger in OD than the plans.  Not perfect, but I’m happy with it.  Now on to the tiny hub.

 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Small progress update Arethusa. I've been working more of the fiddly bits of ironwork for the deck. Following are chainplate assemblies.

I mentioned previously that I was 'stuck' on making the double stropped lower deadeyes. I had fashioned the strops from 0.015" diameter brass wire, looping it around two pins a given distance apart on a wood board. I pinched the wire adjacent to each pin, and soldered the overlap of the two free ends with Stay Brite solder. After trimming the excess, and sanding the soldered end into somewhat reasonable shape I used a drill bit which as about the same diameter as the deadeyes to create the strop shape. Pliers were used to straighten the 'lug' ends of the strop. Once those were all formed I painted the entire strop dull silver except for the non-soldered lug end.

Here is a photo of the some of the parts in manufacturing sequence. On the left is a straight strop after the one end was soldered and sanding/filed. Next to it is a formed hoop strop, the deadeye, the brass rivet, and the chainplate. Next is the soldered assembly. And last is the assembly with the rivet stem trimmed off.



Here is a photo of all of the parts prior to mass soldering production:


Here is a photo of my soldering pad and the assembly secured with wire and a pin:

I placed the manufactured 0.8mm head diameter rivet head at the end of the strop which had been soldered so that the other end, which would be soldered to the unpainted strop was as far away from the strop soldered joint as possible - to mitigate as much as possible the heat from the full assembly soldering from damaging the first soldered joint. This may have been overkill, as the second soldered joint was made using TIX, which has a melt temp of 270F, whereas Stay Brite has a melt temp of 450F or so. In any case the plan worked acceptably. There were variations in forming of the strop loops, and the soldered joints, resulting in more than I want, but all in all acceptable to proceed with.

The final parts assembled, trimmed, and touch up silver paint applied.


Soon I'll install them on the ship.

Cheers,

Elia

Shipwrights - it has been a long time since I last posted progress on Arethusa.  I have been working away on her, in little snippets of time here and there.  Springtime turned to summer, when my modeling usually all but ceases, replaced by outdoor activities.  Autumn typically welcomes the shipwright (me!) back to his work shop.  This year my wife and I decided to embark on a large home improvement project and it has taken far more time and energy than initially estimated.  That resulted in less model time than I had hoped for.  I am now getting a little modeling time in and following are some progress photos.

 

The saga of the yellow cove stripe is almost over.  I had removed the offending strip of wood, per my previous postings, glued in the repair strip, and spackled, sanded and faired it.  I then painted the yellow stripe region.  After the painted dried for a couple of days I applied the 1/64” wide masking tape.  It was surprisingly difficult for me to get it to run straight and true along the new piece of wood.  ?!  Once in place I painted a light coat of the yellow over the masking tape to seal its edges for bleed under by the black topcoat, which followed.  The resulting stripe looks thin and yellow, as desired, though it wanders a wee bit. I think I’ll live with it.  As you can see if the accompanying photo I’ve added some white to the scuppers.  All of my remediation work had filled in the scuppers with spackle, sanding dust, primer, and paint.  I cleaned out the scuppers and applied some of my white paint as touch-up.  Once the chainplates are attached I’ll apply black topcoat and it should look tidy (at least that is the plan).



 

Speaking of chainplates - I have been working away on those details.  First off was making the deadeyes.  Ron (Oneida build) was very helpful in providing me a direction in which to proceed regarding making my deadeyes.  I followed his lead, similar to Harold Underhill, in making a jig to locate the lanyard holes and setting the height of the deadeye.  

 

I don’t know if you shipwrights ever see a detail on the full size ship that just sticks with you and you find you need to model it, but that happened to me on the deadeyes.  The large Gloucester schooners had deadeyes which were iron stropped to the chainplates.  That in itself isn’t unusual.  What is unique (in my mind at least) was that the strops were double wire loops.  Not one, but two iron strops restrain the deadeye to the chainplate.  I had purchased britannia deadeyes from Blue Jacket Shipcrafters for Arethusa but upon inspection I found I could not easily make the purchased deadeyes accept the double iron strop arrangement.  Thus I set off on making the lower deadeyes.  I used boxwood as it is hard, has little grain direction, and cuts and sands cleanly.

 

The larger deadeyes on the larger schooners were 7” to 7 1/2” in diameter and the width was about 5”.  On my model the ones I’ve made are 0.160” diameter (4mm) and 0.10” thick.  The smaller lower deadeyes were 5 1/5” in diameter, and my model ones are 0.115” diameter (3mm).  Interestingly these double stropped deadeyes are essentially flat faced, making fabrication a little easier.

 

My deadeye fabrication process was as follows:

 

Shape wooden rod from square stock using chisels to form first an octagon, chuck it in a hand drill, and use progressively fine grits of sandpaper to sand to the final deadeye diameter.



 

Using the little jig and a pin vise drill the three lanyard holes.



 

Chuck the dowel in my benchtop drill press.  Use the jig to mark the final width/cut of the deadeye with a fine kerf saw (on the drill press).



 

Use a triangular section file to create the strop grooves (on the drill press).  This was the most inconsistent part of my process as I didn’t have (or use/implement) some ‘tool rest’ with which to steady the file.  Remove the deadeye from the drill press and saw off the deadeye at the previously marked line.



 

Finish drilling through the lanyard holes.



 

I eased the holes with a micro “V” shaped gouge, followed by using the lanyard hole drill bit in the pin vise, rotated slowly, and angled to create a shallow groove.  All edges were then lightly sanded.



 

I have made the chainplates, both (16) longer ones for the lower shrouds and (4) shorter ones for the upper shrouds.  I used a jig to locate the chainplates for drilling the bolt holes.  The upper loops are soldered.  A few extras were made as I typically lose or mess up some when working through the fabrication steps.



 

I have fabricated the jumbo, jib, and flying jib stay ironwork from brass sheet stock.



 

I have made some cleats:



 

And some chocks:



 

And for the deadeyes I have begun making the double iron strops.  Here is a photo of my jig for forming the strop from 26 gauge brass wire.  I solder the one loop end, trim off the excess wire, and file it to resemble a hoop end.  I then use a larger drill bit shank to wrap the double strop around and straighten the hoop ends.





 

Once the strops are complete I'll proceed with assembling the deadeyes to the chainplates.  I intend to stain the deadeyes black and paint the strops (before attaching them to the deadeyes) dull silver (for they were galvanized).  I'm scheming now on how to solder the bolt and nut hardware, joining the iron strops to the chainplate.

 

Hopefully it won't been almost a year before I post further progress!

 

Cheers,

 

Elia

Bob,
 
I'm afraid that once this shipbuilding crew here gets their mind set on something - there is no stopping them.  Attached is a current picture of the progress.  The horror of it all!!  I had intended to take pictures in-process but became engrossed in seeing the remediation through.  The old cove section has been cut out of each waist/side.  A new un-coved strip of wood has been glued in its place.  The wood was taller (stood proud of the adjacent loft surface) than required and was subsequently chiseled and sanded near flush.  Putty/filler was applied to fill the inevitable gaps and gouged damage which resulted during the extraction/removal process (ham fisted shipwright in action).  Then it was all sanded flush.  A few touch-ups with the sand paper, a cleaning of the surface, and I'll apply some primer/sealer.  Then on with the yellow striping.
 
My decision to remove the cove, and not fill it with putty/filler, was due to a concern that the cove was so small that putty/filler wouldn't get a good bite or grip, and during the painting (and masking tape removal) process it would peel or break out.  With the new strip of wood the yellow strip will only be painted over solid wood.  I think the masking tape will be able to be burnished well on the wood, will seal well (fingers crossed), and a decent yellow stripe the result (again fingers crossed).  I haven't yet taken a photo of the little cutting tool I made but can do so if anyone is interested in seeing it.  It pretty much looks like the sketch.
 
With a little modeling time I think I'll be able to proceed ahead again soon.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

I noted previously that I was dissatisfied with my execution of the thin yellow cove on my.  I'm attaching a photo of the aft port side of the ship showing that wandering yellow cove.  I think many will understand why I need to fix this.  The second photo is of the plan I've embarked upon to remove and repair that wood region.  I'll add another update to show the progress in the near future.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia