Beamshelf

Shamrock with her hanging knees removed, missing starboard hull planks, covering boards, bulwark and sections of the beamshelf, she is beginning to look a bit scruffy and the pile of old timber is getting larger. The beamshelf is a line of thick timbers scarfed together and bolted to the upper futtock and top timbers of the frames to form a hoop inside the hull for the beams to rest on and gives Shamrock strength to keep her shape. As such the beamshelf needs to be renewed first. Four year old cut and seasoned, European larch is being used starting with the after section. Once it has been cut to size, shaped and steamed into shape it is ready to be preserved before being fitted. Her frames are being cleaned and having the old hull planking nails removed ready for the fitting of new planks. The crew is wondering just how much more of Shamrock is going to disappear?

Knees removed. 

Old bulwark and covering board timbers.

Exposed frames.

Cutting out the old beamshelf.

New section of beamshelf.