All Change

Mutterings from the crew as Shamrock's masts and rigging blocks maintenance plan is changed once again. The idea of using linseed oil as been dropped, looks good on application but starts to look black after a couple of months and it's back to using varnish. Both masts have now had there tops painted white and the remainder has had one coat of 50/50 white spirit varnish mix, along with all the rigging blocks. Due to the cold weather this will require a few days to dry before the next coat of the 50/50 varnish mix is applied. With both masts lying alongside one another you can really see the difference in colour between the pitch pine main mast and the Oregon pine mizzen mast.

Shroud Maintenance

On inspection of Shamrock's main shrouds it was found that the tarred "marline" used as a serving on the throat loop had worn away. After the removal of the remaining sections of serving the original parcelling beneath it was found to be sound and only required a soaking with boiled linseed oil before having a new layer of parcelling and serving applied. Parcelling is the passing round the lay of the wire of strips of old cotton sheet followed by a soaking with linseed oil. Serving is put on by laying the marline around the head and handle of a serving mallet to produce the tension necessary to bind the marline tightly around the wire as the mallet is rotated against the lay. The exposed sections of shroud wire rope have been wire brushed and the crew is waiting for a decision to be made as to what is to be use as a weather protection coating and when it is to be applied.

Serve:- bind (a rope) with thin cord to protect or strengthen it.

Note the serving mallet.

Mast Repair

One of the reasons for moving Shamrock's main mast to the boat shed was to check it for any rot. All appeared to be well until after the removal of the mast cap when a previous repair job to the top of the mast was found to have started to rot. This has now been cut out and the mast cut back to solid wood with a new piece of wood being let in. Interestingly the mast cap that was thought to be metal turned out to be of wood and has suffered no ill effect from the rotten wood beneath it.

With most of the masts, spars and rigging preparation work completed it will soon be time to get out the paint brushes. This year instead of varnishing the mast and blocks they are going to be soaked in linseed oil as this is a more traditional method of weather protection for old wooden working boats.

Repaired mast.

New main boom saddle segments. 

Back To Normal

After the Christmas break life in the boat shed is getting back to normal. Shamrock's main mast is now drying out after being scraped of all old varnish and paint, with a wheelbarrow being used as a mobile scrapings collector. The new main boom saddle has been roughed out, temporarily fitted to the shape of the mast and only requires a bit more shaping before being ready for fitting when the mast is dressed ready for raising in the spring.

In the last couple of years a few props have been added to Shamrock's forward cabin to give visitors an impression of what it would have looked like when she was a working vessel.  One of these is an imitation oil lamp, this has now been modified to take a battery operated flickering LED tea light to giving the impression that it is lit, not that it will provide much extra light.

Mast Stowed

With the help of a local forester, and his Unimog, Shamrock's main mast was final lifted off onto the quay and lowered onto a couple of launching trollies borrowed from Cotehele Quay Gig Club. As the load areas of these trollies pivot around their wheels it was then a simple (four handed manpower) matter of towing the mast into the boat shed. Finally, with the aid of a hydraulic jack, wooden blocks and wedges, the mast was raised onto the awaiting trestles.

Now the job of removing all the old varnish and paint can start, also Shaune can check the fit of the four new saddle segments, he was muttering something about the mast not being round or oval for that matter.

Shamrock's temporary winter covers have been fitted, she has been pumped out and salted ready to be left to the elements over the Christmas holiday period.

Storm Preparation

During last winter a number of Shamrock's mooring lines snapped during the various storms, luckily not all in the same storm. As a result of this the old natural fibre mooring ropes are gradually being replaced with man made nylon rope which will last a lot longer, have a bit of stretch and shouldn't get fungus growing on them. Shamrock purists need not get alarmed as her rigging ropes are still hemp and these are renewed with hemp ropes when required (quite regularly).

Temporary winter covers are being prepared for the openings left when the after deckhouse and forward companionway hatch are removed to the boat shed. These covers will also need to allow for the ventilation of the forward and after cabins.

Shamrock Hoopla

As Shamrock's main mast is due to be moved into the boat shed, her workboat has been moved to the quay boat yard and covered for the winter. This leaves enough room in the shed for both the mizzen and main masts to be left out on trestles with ample room to work on them in comfort. Also in preparation for the move the main masts saddle (collar that supports the boom) and sail hoops have been removed, less bits to get in the way. All four wooden sections of the saddle are showing signs of rot and will need to be renewed before the spring, also the hoops will need sanding and a coat of varnish.

Most of Shamrock's rigging bottlescrews have been scraped and wire brushed clean of old paint and bitumen ready for a fresh coat of paint and finally greasing.