Shamrock & Covid

With Shaune classed as a non-essential worker and furloughed during the lockdown and the volunteers sent home, Shamrock was left sat in her cradle on the slipway at Cotehele Quay. With his and the crews return in late August, Shamrock was checked out and found to be drying out with her ‘Elm’ bottom hull planks seams opening up. Her cover had also taken a battering with the after section needing the most attention this has now been covered with a new tarpaulin.

Shamrock aft cabin.

Under the cover looking aft

Looking forward.

Open seam.

Repaired cover.

Due to the sudden shutdown in March, Nancy Belle was left in the boat shed during the lockdown this resulted in her hull planks drying out and seams opening up from stem to stern. On the crews return she was moved out onto the slipway and the hull was soaked by filling it with water in an attempt to swell the planks back into place. This failed, and was evidenced by water pouring out of her seams, so to facilitate the removal of all the various sealant materials used on her hull planks over the years all her electrics and engine have been removed and cleaning the out of the seams started.

Nancy Belle not holding water.

Bow needs repairing.

Open seams.

Braced and chocked.

Stripped out.

Around the site the stocks of wood have been recovered where the previous covers had deteriorated or rotted away.

In the boat shed, Shamrock's workboat has been braced and chocked, this craft also needs some planks replacing, and the shed is in the process of being cleaned and tided in preparation for it being closed up and secured in November, no date has yet been set for when it will be reopened. 

Shamrock's workboat.

Ticking Over

While waiting for phase two of Shamrock's restoration to start, her crew have been wielding the paintbrushes again. The aft deckhouse and the forward companionway has been the focus of their attention. After very extensive session of preparation, ‘Woodskin’ has been applied to all the areas previously varnished and the rest has been undercoated. They have also had final coat of gloss paint on the internal faces. The external faces are being left until just before they are returned to Shamrock. These items have now been stored in the old carpenter’s shop where they joined her mizzen mast and spars. The forward and aft access ladders, removed during the repairs, have been moved to the boat shed and are now in the process of being cleaned, stripped and painted.

Shamrock's workboat is also back in the boat shed ready to be checked, have any damaged or rotten wood repaired or renewed before receiving a fresh coat of paint. Considering she has been stowed in the boat yard, only covered with a tarpaulin, since the end of 2018 her condition looks good. The crew is sure that Shaune the perfectionist will find something that's not quite right!

There are still some other ‘fixtures & fittings’ to be overhauled, but more of that another time.