Lead up to Easter

Hello to everyone

VALE Ron Heddle

We want to acknowledge the sad passing of our mate and dear friend Ron Heddle, known widely throughout the boat building industry in Tasmania and a local of Kettering. Our sincere condolences to his partner Patty, and all of Ron's children. Ron has been a part of James' life since 1987 and became a good friend to us both over the years. We will miss your visits to the yard Wag.

As Easter is upon us, we trust you have an opportunity to spend some time with your families and/or friends and all stay safe on the water and roads.

It has been a busy few weeks in the yard, so today's blog is a bit longer than usual.

Work is continuing on the ally boat fitout (see previous blogs), installing the last side panels with plywood, ready to be carpeted.

Starboard side focsle lining panels ready for carpet lay

Port side focsle lining panels installation

A regular at our yard, one of the biggest wooden cray boats in the state – the “Breaksea” out of Dover and Wilson built in Triabunna.  She came up for annual maintenance where we recaulked around the stern post, removed some rotten plywood panels around the wheelhouse, and replaced and installed a new stove. New timberwork was fabricated to accommodate the new stove.

Oven before

Old oven removed

New oven

Refastening of planking and recaulking of stern post

We replaced this panel below the arrow

Whole back panel of wheelhouse has been replaced and old porthole and new hatch installed with mosquito netting to stave off those pesky west coast mossies

Breaksea relaunched and looking magnificent

Another regular, we are continuing work on a Pompei built cray boat up for annual maintenance – "Warringa M" out of King Island.  The vessel is up for some recaulking, new skin fitting, plywood repairs on aft section of the wheelhouse, resealing around the Samson post, removal of 8 leaking aluminium windows and installation of 8 new direct glazed windows down the starboard side of the wheelhouse.

Stern of Warringa M

Before caulking repairs - leaking seam on stern post

Caulking repairs on stern post prior to antifouling

Old aluminium framed window removed

New direct glazed window installed

Window aperture infills

New direct glazed window installed

Door showing old circular window cutout

New window cutout in door

A window cutout, primed & ready for window installation

New window installed

Rotten plywood removed

New plywood fitted, glued, primed and topcoated

Samson post recaulked, resealed and coved

One of the biggest Samson posts you are likely to see on a wooden fishing boat - it is 30 x 30 cm

During the annual maintenance on the above vessels, a small motor cruiser owner found some minor cracks in the base of her keel which we promptly ground out and fibreglassed with epoxy resin and fibreglass cloth.  They were epoxy primed ready for antifoul, which the owner applied. Boat and owner much happier now.

Cracking in the fibreglass

Damage ground back and re-fibreglassed

Repair faired and primed