Missing Deck Planks

With the quay starting to look like a paddy field, work is still continuing on Shamrock with the fitting of the after two sections of the beamshelf. A third beamshelf section still needs to be manufactured once the last remains of the existing section are removed. Six of the seven hanging knees have been moved to the boat shed for cleaning and painting with the seventh to follow once it has been removed. To enable the refitting of these knees the starboard side deck planks, up to the side of the cargo hatch coaming, have been removed to expose the half beams to which the top of the knees are through bolted. Some of the beams have started to rot due to the ingress of water through the deck plank seams and will need to be replaced or repaired. With the removal of the deck planks the amount of old caulking to be removed has been greatly reduced, much to the relief of the crew. The after cabin, soon to be the engine room, has had its two bunks removed in preparation for the fitting of the propeller shaft, engine and subsidiary equipment.

Missing deck planks.

Two new sections of beamshelf bolted in place.

This section is still to be removed, note the mycelium around the scarf.

Hanging knees.

Beam rot exposed after removal of hanging knees.

Remains of Shamrock's after bunks.

Lots Of Coach Bolts

Repairs to the last of the top sections of the starboard side frames of Shamrock are nearing completion, so, the next job will be the ‘coach bolting’ of the beamshelf onto the frames. Coach bolts which were left over from Shamrock's restoration are to be used, however, the screw threads of the bolts needed to be lengthened by about 5cm (2in), not so easy. Luckily an old thread cutter, (that’s a tool not a person), has been pressed back into service making the job a bit easier and the sixty bolts required have been completed. Visitors to Cotehele Quay will have noticed that Shamrock's temporary cover now has had a large number of reinforced venting holes cut in the top and bottom of the sides. This is to allow her to dry out as originally the cover suffered from a severe condensation problem on the inside. As the old and new sections of frames need to dry out as much as possible before being sealed in by the new hull planks, the actual fitting of these planks will be one of the last jobs. In the meantime the drying out will enable the re-caulking of the deck to press ahead.

Last of the frame repairs.

Thread cutter.

Modified coach bolts.

Shamrock's vented cover.

January Floods

With the first week in January bringing a combination of heavy rain, low pressure, gales and spring tides Cotehele Quay has seen the river flood the quay more than once in the week giving Shamrock's boat shed the appearance of being surrounded by a moat. Access to the boat shed required wellingtons or waders but at least it remained dry.

Shaune waiting for the tide to drop.

View from the road.

Who needs a launching trolly

View from the rear of the boat shed.

River bank breach.

Grey wagtail checking the detritus.