Phase One

The end of phase one of Shamrock's current conservation program is approaching. The fitting of the two aft wash strake planks being the last of the large sections of timber to be completed and this means she is structurally complete. There remains only some finishing touches plus a lot of cleaning and painting to be carried out.

The false keel and keelson of Shamrock are due to be renewed in the next phase. The missing centre sections of deck planks, which were not fitted to enable access to the keelson, are being covered with plywood to insure Shamrock is water tight when her temporary cover is removed.

Caulking and tarring of all the fitted deck planks has been completed thanks to Mark.

After over 18 months of working under Shamrock's cover there has been a rare sighting of ‘Shuggs’ with a broom!

Lower Hull Planks

Mark has spent the last few weeks in the mud under Shamrock renewing the caulking of any suspect bottom hull plank seams. He has also power washed and scraped these planks ready for a coat of bitumen paint, none of them easy jobs.

Shamrock has been out of the water since October 2017 and needs to be back in the water to prevent her ‘below the waterline’ elm hull planks completely drying out. As her false keel and keelson still need to be replaced, the centre section, approximately 4 ft. (1.2 m) of deck planks, are not going to be replaced until after this work is completed. The newly laid deck planks are being cleaned of 'black butter' (bituminous mastic), sanded and the inboard edges braced ready for caulking. Once caulked the centre gap will have a temporary watertight cover fitted. Shamrock will then be floated off her cradle and returned to her dock. While Shamrock is soaking, the cradle will be modified ready for her to be hauled out later in the year. Work can then be started to complete the second phase of her current conservation work.

To make Shamrock's hull more pleasing to the eye, Shaune, the perfectionist, has started hardening the seams of the upper hull planks using a hot iron.

Shuggs Shamrock Team

Shuggs’s Shamrock repair team. From left to right: Julian Gray, Daniel Butlin, Adrian Grigg (Shuggs) and Mark Lane.

 At present Julian is working on Shamrock's forward companionway and aft deckhouse coamings.

Daniel, a Falmouth Marine school student on their 'Yacht Fit Out and Composites City & Guilds Diploma Level 3' course, is assisting Shuggs with the laying of Shamrock's deck planks. Her starboard side deck planks have now been laid and are ready to be caulked and plugged.

With all of Shamrock's forward staging removed, Mark is continuing the job of patching up some of her lower hull planks with graving pieces, scraping out all the old caulking and replacing with fresh oakum and tar, his speciality.

Plugging Shamrock

The wooden plugs used in the plugging of all Shamrock's various planks and boards fastenings holes, are produced from offcuts of planking and using a plug cutter of the correct size. The cutter is cut into the offcut multiple times and spaced to produce the maximum number of plugs. The bandsaw is then used to split out the plugs. If the offcut is of sufficient thickness both sides are cut before being split out. All plugs are dipped in glue before being lightly hammered into place with its grain in line with the plank grain. Once the glue has set any excess plug is pared off before being sanded flush with their respective plank. The number of plugs used to date is already running into the hundreds.

A tapered stick with a rag secured around the taper is used in the tarring of Shamrock's hull planks seams. The hot tar is picked up from the chip fryer with a turning motion ensuring an even spread on the stick then, with a turning and moving motion along the line of the seam, the tar is deposited into the seam. Two layers of tar are required with any excess scraped off once the tar has set. The caulking and tarring of Shamrock's starboard hull plank seams has been completed.

Shamrock shape has become more pleasing to the eye with the completion of her bulwark capping rails.

Shamrock Sculpture

Shamrock Feature: After raiding the boat shed for some old rope, a few blocks and Shamrock's old “transom fashion piece”, the plank in which the name of Shamrock together with her Port of Registry is carved, a model of Shamrock features as one of the sculptures on the Daffodil Discovery trail at Cotehele. This was created by a group from the National Association of Flower Arrangers Society.

Work progressing on Shamrock

• All her bulwark stanchions have been caulked with oakum where they pass through the covering boards and had 'Jeffery’s No 2 Black Marine Glue' (tar) hot poured into the seams. An old chip fryer is used to melt the glue.

• Tenons have been cut into the top of the stanchions and two of the 2 in (50 mm) larch capping rails cut, shaped and fitted.

• Larch for the three 1 in. (25 mm) strakes of bulwark planking have been cut, reduced to the thickness and length required from 32 ft. (9.75 m) planks, and each strake is also having their different profiles cut. All this has been creating a bit of a mess in the boat shed.

Daniel making the first cut.  

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Frame Repairs Progressing

Shamrock's frame repairs are progressing with a couple of frames only requiring a final fettling and preserving before the new beamshelf and hull planks can be fitted. While this is progressing the crew has made a start on renewing the main deck caulking with the removal of some of the existing caulking.

New frame section scarfed and bolted.

Shuggs (Adrian) working on the next frame.

Shamrock's front door.

Main deck access point.