25/11/2012, Tunisia
After 40 weeks of work, representing some 14,500 man hours, I can't help feeling proud of what we have achieved so far. It hasn't always been without its problems but with a little reflection, the application of ingenuity and a lot of hard work, most of these were overcome quite easily and we look forward to the next 10,000 hours which will be required to complete the restoration.
On the shop floor the boom is being shaped, the bench for the mast construction has been completed, deadwood is being repaired, Sandra continues to apply copious amounts of varnish to just about anything she can lay her hands on and I shuttle back and forth between the boat and the office, juggling the many balls that I have in the air and hoping that none are dropped!
Up on the boat, the two structural bulkheads around the mast area have been permanently fitted and since the original ones no longer exist, it was decided to beef up this most important area. We now have a clear idea of how the galley will look and templates of the galley sole have been made. We will build up from there using the original plans. The new chain plates are being dry fitted and the mast step has been made and also dry fitted in place. The last floors have been finally fixed in place and now that the structure is nearing completion, we are turning our attention to one of those balls in the air, namely the imminent removal of the ballast keel which we hope to achieve before too long. That promises to be a very interesting exercise! The original bulkheads are in final preparation for fitting and the cockpit structure continues to take shape. We have slightly modified the structure to be stronger and provide more stowage all the while taking care not to add extra weight where it is not wanted, yet keeping the original aspect. I am very happy that we have remained faithful to the original interior layout and have only introduced some minor changes to cater for the modern usage of this kind of vessel.
The standing and running rigging are in fabrication, and we expect a visit from the sail maker in the near future to discuss the sail plan and take measurements. We eagerly await the arrival of the custom bronze forged items from the US and those items that are still missing to complete the fit out, are actively being sourced using all the resources available to us.
More next week.
Jono
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Comments [0]
18/11/2012, Tunisia
The further into this project I get, the worse my literary skills seem to become and I have the feeling that I don't have much of any great interest to write, but at the risk of boring you all, I will attempt to capture your attention for a few moments and try to share with you this latest chapter in the rebirth of this wonderful yacht. (Now that's a big sentence!)
Having spent hours designing and drawing modifications to the beautiful gimballed saloon table in order to accommodate more alcohol, as suggested by my Dad, and purely as a counter weight, of course, I couldn't bring myself to take a saw to it so I left it as it is and turned my attention to more pressing matters.
On a more serious note................
The cockpit opening has been defined and cut out but behind the scenes, much analysing of the drawings took place in order to establish the true location and dimensions of this feature before the first saw cut could be made. And this is true for all the openings in the deck and also for the various fittings which will be bolted to the deck. These require hardwood backing pads and it is easier and quicker to place them before the deck goes on than after. More head scratching. Time is of the essence!
A repair to the stem is well underway and the final floors are almost finished. The deck beams are now all fastened and the central whatchamacallit is being glued into place. More deadwood has been removed for repairs and we are now preparing for the removal of the 12 ton keel which will hopefully happen in the next couple of weeks. The bench for the mast construction is being made and we will also start the mast soon. We also took delivery of the electric package, the propulsion package and a large amount of general chandlery. It was almost like my birthday...........only not!
Keep the comments coming. I am always delighted to know that someone is reading this stuff and it is not for nothing.
More next week.
Jono
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Graham.
Jono.
04/11/2012, Tunisia
The deck beams are finally being fixed and one can really see the boat taking on its final shape. The anchor points for the runner hooks have been fitted and I am at present working on the new chain plates. The knees which support the deck and provide additional rigidity to the structure are being shaped and will be fitted next week and the remaining floors are being made and I also fitted the original steering supports. Meanwhile, on the shop floor, the original bulkheads are receiving much attention in order to look their best when re fitted inside, and the butterfly hatch grills are well advanced. Original locks, catches and hinges have been cleaned and polished and are being fitted to their respective doors and drawers. New equipment continues to be delivered and we are expecting the arrival of the electrics package on Monday.
We are away to France on Tuesday for a short break and will be sourcing those items that have, as yet, not been found. The suit of sails has been ordered as has the standing and running rigging, and I believe that the custom bronze work going on in the US is well advanced.
All in all, not bad progress.
Jono
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I've seen diferent ways to fix the chain plates: in Enterprise are crossed, i mean, fixed in 3 diferent frames; in TBP are screwed along diferent frames... How you gonna fix them? I assume that the frame are new and strong so which way you think is the best?
Say hello to Sandra. Miss you guys!
28/10/2012, Tunisia
Another couple of weeks have past and another big step towards assuring Chinook's future has been taken. Much has happened since I last posted, and probably the most important thing is that we have finished the first item of the restoration, namely the saloon table. A lovely simple design, which gimbals as well due to its clever system and it's on board counter weights, lovingly restored by the team and which will now patiently await the end of the rebuild to re take its rightful place in the saloon. Sandra has made lots of progress on the various pieces of furniture, both interior and exterior and our helpful French chippie, Herve, has repaired and reconstructed the butterfly hatches the forward hatch and various door frames using only recycled Honduras mahogany saved from a variety of old parts of Chinook. The backstay hooks now have under deck backing plates using a slight variation in design on the original theme and the bronze hooks that came with her, probably fitted by a previous owner, Bill Fulton, back in the late fifties or early sixties when he worked for "Merriman". The new chain plates will soon be ready to fit also and the tanks are nearing completion. The whole interior of the hull has had a coat of epoxy saturator to preserve the new timber from the humidity, and also because I don't like lead based primers. The gaff is now finished and ready for some varnish and there is a paint and varnish booth being erected down at the back of the shed so we can work in a relatively dust free environment.
Jono.
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16/10/2012, France
Weeks 33 34 35
Yet again, I apologise for my lapse in posting on the blog and as usual, I have a very good excuse! Once back in France a short break was required to recharge our batteries before attacking two weeks of racing "Rowdy" so we spent a day and a half with our motorbikes on the track, dragging our knees around it and generally being about as far away from classic yacht restoration as one can get. It worked and we joined the Fighting Forty in Cap d'Ail for a shakedown feeder race from Nice to Cannes in good shape. Les Regates Royales was not one of our better regattas but it did shake out the cobwebs and we were on top form for St. Tropez, where we won our class. While on the regatta circuit, the hunt for the ideal sailmaker continued with meetings on the boat and a lot of time was spent discussing the restoration in general. It was good to be there and we had the great pleasure of meeting Andrew, the captain of the very special NYYC 50 "Spartan" and his lovely companion, Maria. They were duly invited to race with us and have since become fast friends. Much information was exchanged and we very much look forward to the arrival of "Spartan" on the Mediterranean circuit.
Meanwhile, back on Chinook, things continued to move along nicely. The deck clamp was fitted, the final planks were placed, more interior furniture was restored, the gaff was built, old blocks were repaired and a myriad of other stuff continued to contribute to the receding hairlines of grown men!
I will let the photos speak for themselves and look forward to getting stuck in again after this long absence.
More soon.
Jono
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16/09/2012, Tunisia
Blog week 32
As we prepare to head back to France on Wednesday next to take Rowdy racing, Chinook is really starting to resemble her sister. The underbody is unmistakably a New York 40. And why wouldn't it, I hear you say. Well, we have just rebuilt the whole bloody lot from the bottom up and there is always plenty of room for madness to creep into the method. Luckily, though, it has worked out just fine and I'm sure she will be a thing of beauty once complete.
The deck clamp is well advanced and will be fitted next week, the planking nears completion, both butterfly hatches are now being varnished along with drawers, hatches, locker doors, and the helm.
I continue to do drawings, liaise with the fabricators, pore over drawings and I still manage to get filthy dirty! I am also eagerly waiting for some news from Jim Reineck in the US to tell me that the first batch of bronze fittings are ready and the second lot is in fabrication.
The gaff has been started and by the end of next week it should be in one piece. The other smaller spars should follow on fairly quickly from then. The material for new keel bolts has been sourced and will be fabricated soon locally. The electronics package and the new engine are due to be delivered on Monday and the general chandlery order, the safety gear, and the electrics package are nearing completion and I expect them all to show up by the end of the month. Varnish and paint are also on order and all that remains is to throw another 10,000 hours at it!
Jono
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11/09/2012, Tunisia
Thanks for your constructive comment, Tim, and you are right, Sandra does work very hard. But when you are running a blog like this, you have to do the work, take the pictures, write the text, do the editing, download and upload and then publish it all. So as you can see, most of the time, I'm flat out !
Wish you were here!
Jono
PS: Hi Mat, see you soon in Cannes.
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09/09/2012, Tunisia
Another busy week has past and, as ever, we continue to make an even bigger dent in this mammoth amount of work that is otherwise known as "Chinook". The planking is well advanced now and we are looking into saving some of the better bits high on the topsides. We will save what we can, but each time I look at it, it becomes increasingly difficult to find sound timber in the old structure. I have finished the placement of the deck beams and the sheer line has now been defined. A hellishly difficult piece of work, both physically and mentally and I'm happy that it's done. We have removed all the structural bracing added at the beginning to hold her in shape and now we have a nice view of what the finished hull will look like. The hull structure becomes stiffer each day and I am very happy to see that nothing has moved during the work to date. We have removed the old chain plates and new ones will be made next week. The new bowsprit now has 10 coats of varnish and the gaff is in construction. The butterfly hatches have been completely dismantled and re glued. The will hopefully be ready to start varnishing by the end of next week. There are a multitude of repairs going on to various bits and pieces too numerous to mention in a concerted effort to save time during fit out. The engine and electronics package are both on the way which will allow me to make a start on the propulsion system.
So there you have it....................there's a lot going on.
Jono.
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You have been a busy boy !
Looking forward to catching up in Cannes.
It'll be just like old times except hopefully we might give you a race This year.
01/09/2012, Tunisia
I must apologise for my long absence from the Blog, especially to Graham, as he is our most avid reader. Holidays and family took up a good part of my time and the rest was used up on Rowdy, Chinook and the new house. Needless to say Sandra and I had a bit on! Since our return to Tunisia on Sunday last, we got stuck in and all week I haven't had the energy to write anything.
The yard had re-opened the week before and the boys had continued where they left off with the double planking. Now after two weeks back at work, we have completed about 75% of the planking and are on the home straight as far as that goes. I am making good progress placing the deck beams although it really has been a head wreck. The thought of making a mistake has made me triple check every measurement before picking up the drill, and even then doubts come back to haunt me in the evening. Sandra is preparing many items to be varnished such as the butterfly hatches and has several coats on the new bowsprit already. We decided to keep the two existing butterfly hatches having already decided to do new ones as they are not original. But, they are old, of the correct dimensions and built from a beautiful mahogany of a quality hard to find these days. The hinge system is basic and the grills to protect the glass were all wrong. However, in view of the time required to build new ones and the fact that we are having trouble saving old bits of the boat, we think it only fair that they remain aboard. They are now in restoration and will closely resemble the real thing when complete.
The engine and electronics will hopefully be delivered in the next couple of weeks and on Thursday we took delivery of the first items. A box of lovely blocks arrived from Holland built by "Ording Blockmakers". Have a look at their website at the link to the right of this post. Nice quality and finish and nice price too! We are not exactly ready to hang any of them just yet but quite a few will require leather protection. Sandra's workload increased the moment she opened the box!
We will spend two more weeks here before heading back to France to make the final preparations for "Les Regates Royales" in Cannes and "Les Voiles de St. Tropez". Rowdy is heading to the yard next week for a haul out so she is in top shape for the events. I just hope that the crew is not too rusty from lack of racing.
Jono
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It is always a happy moment to read the blog and watch the excellent photos of the slow reborn of Chinook. Looking forward to seeing you all soon again in Cannes and St.Tropez. Have been sailing a bit, not too rusty but missing racing on board Rowdy for sure...! See you soon on the pontoon. J-R
27/07/2012, Tunisia
Chinook week 28
Well, we have arrived at the summer break and I am very keen to get it over with as there has been a marked slowdown in production these past few weeks. It is inevitable, though what with the heat and the start of Ramadan. You may have noticed that even I have been less active on the blog recently. That said, we remain extremely motivated and we look forward to getting back to work and take up the pace that we had earlier in the year.
We certainly haven't been idle though. Behind the scenes, a lot of research, purchasing, designing and solving of issues has been going on and in general the preparation for the fit out is well advanced. The new engine has been acquired and the propulsion unit dimensioned and ordered, tanks are in construction and quotes for the sail package have been coming in. More bronze hardware has been ordered too.
I had an email from Bill Fulton who owned Chinook from 1955 to 1962, (before I was born), and it has re awoken my curiosity for the history of this yacht and the 40 footers in general. I am also desperately seeking period photos of the interior of any of these yachts as I don't have much to go on, so if any of you readers have some, please share them with us.
We still have a lot of bronze hardware to sell off including highfield levers and portholes, round and oval, and pine spars in good condition going cheap, so spread the word.
We are also preparing to race Rowdy in late September at the "Regates Royales" in Cannes and "Les Voiles de St. Tropez" and if any of you find yourselves nearby, please drop by the boat for a chat.
Jono.
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