Restoration
UPDATED July 26, 2007
The first step in Splendid’s restoration was to bring her home to the east coast where she was born 77 years ago. She had been in the Puget Sound area for the last thiry years or so. We arranged to truck her east — which was not the simplest matter. The sticks came out suprisingly easily however.
Next we loaded her on a truck. She weighed in too heavy (almost 19 tons) and we had to get a second, stronger, truck to move her.
The trip east was uneventful and she arrived in great shape at her new home. She is at the Dutch Wharf Yard in Branford, CT for the winter where her tired hull is getting restored.
To begin the work we had to strip off her paint and inspect her carefully. We fully expected to have to refasten her (last done with galvanized fasteners 30 years ago). Her planking was in suprisingly good shape below the water line. The topsides, however, need some TLC.
We removed some planks and the fasteners more-or-less fell out. It became clear that many of the frames were iron-sick and it didn’t make sense to refasten without addressing them.
New frames are being laminated out of oak and bolted in place with silicon-bronze bolts. The planks will be screwed to the frames from the outside later. The starboard side is part way done.
Our Daughter Nikki is helping with the restoration!
The starboard frames are finished and the starboard planks are starting to be fastened. The interior is almost completely gone. The stem and the port frames are next.
The last of the interior is now gone. The port frames are in the process of being replaced.
All the frames except for a few in the bow have been replaced.
The stem needed attention and we elceted to replace the entire stem.
Here the rabbet is being cut prior to instalation.
And now the stem is finally finished.
So planking can begin. The starboard garboard is in along with three planks.
The port garboard has been steamed and is being installed.
Here she is mostly planked.
