November 30, 2010
As you can see from the drawing above, the new rudder will have a deeper bite with a narrower top. A new shoe and bearing set will also be cast. The building of the new rudder is to begin immediately.
November 30, 2010
During a conference call yesterday some momentous decisions were made regarding Dorade's main mast and boom. Our engineering teams did a fantastic job of reviewing the current main mast and comparing it. Excerpts from the report are at the end of this posting. After a lively and involved discussion, the decision was made to build […]
November 22, 2010
One of the projects this winter is to install bow cleat(s). There is good backing along the king plank in the middle of the deck. If this option were chosen, only a single cleat would be installed. This is a good strong option - the windlass has already proven it's strength under tow with a […]
November 22, 2010
The rough cut out work on the stem has been completed, except for removing the bow sprit plug at the top of the photo. This will be removed when we have a better idea of how the new forestay tang will look. You can see the first layers of Quick Fare going onto the cabin […]
November 18, 2010
In order to comply with off shore racing rules, four more stanchion bases need to be added. As can be seen from the
November 18, 2010
There is a question of which material to cover the cabin top with, dynell or canvas. What do YOU think? Please comment! Below is a break down (thank you Jeff Grey) of the two. DYNEL: Dynel cloth is a synthetic fabric that has many uses in boatbuilding but has been the material of choice recently […]
November 18, 2010
The mizzen channel is being routed out to receive radar and sat phone wiring. A spline will cover the wiring. This jig is similar in style to the jig used on the stern post.
November 18, 2010
The stem has been cut back to the plank ends. Now the work of cutting back along the ends of the planks begins. Veritical cuts are made that miss the plank ends and then a chisel cuts the rest away. The stem is in excellent shape. There is a little bit of moisture around the […]
November 18, 2010
Dorade's fine looking cabin top had some fine looking leaks, primarily over the navigator's berth. When we dug into it, the original plan of fixing the bad seam along the starboard hatch runner went out the window. When the cabin top was sealed with fiberglass and bog, it was only taken up to the seams […]
November 14, 2010
A reminder of why we are doing all of this work. Undeniably one of the most beautiful boats ever built, Dorade returns to the racing circuit in late 2010. Thank you Billy Black for the awesome photos! http://www.billyblack.com/ [nggallery id=17]
November 11, 2010
Just a quick update. The engineering behind the engine installation is complete and we should be ordering it in the next few days. The engine will be located behind and to port of the companionway stairs with the propellor exiting out the port side. More soon!
November 9, 2010
The mast appears to be in excellent shape. None the less, it is being checked for appropriate sizing for the loads placed on it at sea. Should all of the scantlings check out, it will be thoroughly surveyed by a professional and with an infra red camera. Should it pass the survey, all screw holes […]
November 9, 2010
It is the general consensus that the only thing worth saving on this particular rudder is the fine bronze casting for the propellor aperture. Unfortunately, the aperture would be filled in again as the prop is to go out the port side. [nggallery id=19]
November 9, 2010
As can be seen in the photos, the stern post has a number of repairs that have been made to it over the last 80 years. The blue tape represents a minimalist approach to removing the propeller aperture, which cuts into the aft piece of the stern post by nearly 2/3, seriously compromising the strength […]
November 9, 2010
A final decision has been made on the stem repair. Over the years various repairs have been made, perhaps the largest and most intrusive being the big patch that was added near the top. The final choice has been to replace the stem from the plank ends forward. This will essentially make the stem […]