AN EVENTFULL DAY

Today I have been working with the bronze plate from Lagermetall Örebro, bent to a fitting curvature by Wevik Maskin AB here in Västervik.

A lot of holes had to be drilled and some tapped. The plate is to big for my drillpress but by using a mighty sharp drill and get support from a box all went well with the holes and the tapping.

It turned out that the plate was heavier than anticipated 138 instead of 127. The extra kilos will do good rounding Cape Horn.

To get the plate in the right place some reshuffling had to be done. The boat had to be put upside down and rolled away, the heavy plate lifted up towards the cealing. The boat had to be rolled back and put in a very precise position below the plate. The finally the plate had to lowered.

All went very well except for the very last correction, then the boat fell over. A bad thing had happend. The bulkheads got damaged but can be fixed without to much weight gain I hope. No use cry over spilled milk. I continued.

To cheer me up the plate fitted itself in the most beatiful way. Only about 9 mm in the back was there a rather wide gap between the plate and the hull. I belive I can do something about it. We will see.

Below some pictures.

After I got a super sharp drill bit and used a box as support drilling went very well. More than 30 holes in the 12 mm thick phosphor bronze plate was done.
The plate with the holes. The two pad eyes are fastened with screws in tapped holes. Their purpose is to lift the plate and then when their job is done be remowed.
The plate on wheels being lifted. The boat on three dollies one forward two back. Everything rolled easily and everything was fine.Then suddenly all hell broke lose. I screamed as my boat fell over. No use the damage was done.
One moment all happiness, next disaster. The plate still hanging over the boat. The dollies in the back can bee seen.
The broken aft bulkhead
The plate on the hull. A very satisfying fit. I am pleased.
This is the worst spot. Mostly the gap is not more than 3 millimeter or 1/8 of an inch.
Now the dollies are secured with clamps. Here the bow one
Here the the two aft dollies. They are now connected by plancks and more widely spaced. One mistake is not OK but can be repaired. Two would be very bad.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind