Month: August 2023

Jim’s experimental Carbon Fibre Mast.

Jim has decided to convert his 32′ gaff rigged ocean cruiser to Junk rig. He’s been considering this for quite a long time, and here is the first step in accomplishing that rather dramatic refit. A new fifty foot mast, built around a ten staved douglas core and now sheathed in a vast quantity of carbon fibre, which took several weeks of effort. Being Junk rigged, it’s designed to be unstayed so is really rather huge at the butt end. So I was pleased to simply come up with a way to easily roll the mast during lay-up. Surprisingly, carbon fibre turns out to be quite easy to work with once you get the hang of it, at least the backyard way we were doing it. I’m also interested in some of the physical and dynamic challenges of such a project. Of course extending the vessels keelson, partners, and mast step, building a yard and making the first sail are all still to come, and I hope to be involved with some of these too.

Essex Spritsail Barge replanking.

Here’s one at the big hairy end of the building spectrum. 90 odd feet of it. I spent three months replanking one whole side of this Thames barge in a floating dry dock over the winter. Using a planking method that I haven’t encountered before, this was to be three layers of 1″ sawn larch on top of each other, close boarded and luted in between with roofing felt and vast quantities of bitumen. (Pictured here is as far as the second layer.) Some frames were replaced in chestnut too toward the stern as I went. I was mad enough to somehow ‘agree’ to be left to tackle a large amount of this colossal task solo, and some weeks in had to beg for assistance when throwing six metre larch boards around all day became just too much. Eventually taking matters into my own hands I persuaded the management to allow Laura to join me for two two week sessions, which helped enormously. I did my best with this, and consider I proved I could do it well, and fast. I enjoyed the bigness of this challenge though, planking and steaming is always fun, and the working environment despite being harsh and exposed in December and January could be quite beautiful when the weather was calm.