The day started very foggy and just a little chilly, so outside epoxy work will have to be delayed until the fog lifts and the very least.
The first thing I did this morning, before breakfast even, was to remove the Oak from the cramps and then to trim off the excess epoxy.
These two were cut to the required angle ready for various adjustments and dry fitting.
Time for a cup of tea.
The drop nose pin arrived in the post just after lunch which was a very fast delivery.
This one is 8mm in diameter and has a working length of 80mm.
I carefully drilled an 8.5mm hole in the sampson post and made two bearers out of Oak. These were glued to the king plank using the Sikaflex adhesive and the pin fits through the hole and rests tightly against these bearers, preventing the post from being lifted out. However I don’t know if the bearers will have stuck to the king plank as it was only when seeing the photo that I realised just how dirty the plank is. I’ll find out tomorrow.
The post has some clear tape around the point where the adhesive is to prevent it sticking to the post.
Just before I stopped for a tea break I spotted a new inhabitant of the workshop. This large spider has spun a web under one of the skylights. The web was not there first thing this morning. I’ll navigate around the web as best I can for the moment, but sooner or later I’ll have to move something that will break the web.
Time for a cup of tea.
Once the sampson post had the retaining pin inserted, even though the bearers are still being glued, I could put the bowsprit in place and position the gammon iron. This is what it looks like with the gammon iron at its lowest and the angle looks just fine.
There is a good clear gap under the bowsprit which will allow a rope to be put under it when rigging the staysail.
With the position sorted out I trimmed the Oak I laminated yesterday and cut this morning and then epoxied it to the hull. I dry fitted the spacers with 2″ stainless steel screws but only used 1″ screws to hold the spacers and the gammon iron in place whilst the epoxy cured.
I’m, thinking of adding two more screws to give five per side to add extra strength to the gammon iron. I’m also debating whether or not to replace the stainless screws with bronze. The are larger in diameter, no.12 instead of no.8 but the same length. I think I’ll see how the stainless screws hold up and replace them with the larger screws if required.
I decided that the last task of the day would be to put the waterproofing strip onto the underside of the forehatch.
Oh, and I washed the curtains. There are only four remaining of the seven original, so I’ll see if I can find some matching material and make new ones. I doubt it, though. As far as I can tell from old photos, these are the original curtains of sixty years ago. Finding a match is probably impossible !
Time for a cup of tea.