July Update

Shamrock's latest progress report.

Decks.
Fore deck and both side decks caulked and tarred. Aft port side caulking and tarring started after being cleaned and sanded.

Cargo hatch.
Two lines of a combination of old and new steal rubbing strips fitted to inner faces of both sides. Old hatch boards fitted, checked and adjusted as required.

Bulwarks
Where the bulwark stanchions slot through the covering boards, especially the cargo gate stanchions, was an area where water leaked into Shamrock resulting in the large amount of the wet rot found during the current restoration. To insure a better seal, after caulking and tarring the slots, Shaune has made moulds, poured tar around them building up the seal above deck level and finally rounded the edges off with a hot knife. Completed: fitting, plugging and priming of the starboard bulwark side planks. The port side planks are currently in the process of being fitted.

Other
Three out of the four of the cavils have been fitted. Oak stern fairleads now completed. Work has started on the wash strakes with the both fore sections being cut from oak these will have the fairleads cut into them replacing the stag horns and matching the stern fairleads.

Stop Press

A recent survey of Shamrock's, below the waterline hull, revealed that it's still sound, so the decision has been made to complete the current restoration before floating her off. Shaune and Shuggs had a successful day at an Exford timber merchant checking on reclaimed ‘Greenheart’ wood for the replacement of Shamrock's oak false keel and keelson. Greenheart is an extremely dense durable timber and is one of the few timbers which has a long lifespan when used in a marine environment, making it perfect for Shamrock. The reclaimed greenheart originated from Portsmouth dockyard.

Oak stern fairleads are being cut to replace her existing stag horns as an early photo of Shamrock alongside in Penryn confirms she originally had wooden fairleads.

Mark has now escaped from under Shamrock and is busy sanding, caulking and tarring her decks, he has completed the foredeck and made a start on the starboard side deck.

Paying the seam.

The crew has been busy cleaning Shamrock's oak cavils ready for refitting, priming her bulwark stanchions, covering boards, capping rails and hatch coamings.