Replacing rot and rust with oak and locust.
The Rebuild picks up speed
As the winter’s chill fades into memory, the rebuild team is hard at work down at North End Shipyard. Nearly thirty of the Firefly’s frame heels have been replaced, the transom is halfway rebuilt, a load of plank stock is en route, and a new engine has been ordered and delivered.
Preparing a new frame for the steam box. Photo by Justin Murray Photography.
The rebuild team was recently joined by Henry LePage, a graduate of The Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design, with a certificate in marine systems engineering and a passion for wooden boat building. Henry has taken on the bulk of the Firefly’s shipwright work as well as its systems design.
Henry, at work scarfing in a new end of the sheer clamp.
Rebuilding the Transom
To no one’s surprise, the transom has required an almost complete rebuild. After removing all the damaged, rotten, and iron sick wood, only one usable timber remained.
The rest of it- the quarter knees, compass timbers, deck beams, and frames were removed as carefully as possible. Henry made patterns of the rotten pieces from lauan plywood, and has spent the last few weeks fashioning new pieces from white oak and locust.
Old and new quarter knees.
Frames, Frames, and More Frames
Frames have been Alex’s primary focus for the last few months. There is much to do– the Firefly has more than 60 frames on each side, each formed of two 1×2-inch laminated steam-bent pieces. At this point, we have replaced at least 30 frame heels in the forward and midship sections. (You can check out our last newsletter to learn more about that process.)
Photo by Justin Murray Photography
Aft of the mainmast, most of the frames are in good condition. As of now, there are only a dozen or so frames remaining that need to be repaired, and all of them will be addressed over the course of larger projects. A few are tucked under the mast steps, others form the base of the forward and aft bulkheads, and about a dozen will be replaced as part of the bow rebuild.
Keel Bolts and Other Side Projects
In addition to the frames and the transom, the rebuild team are pursuing half a dozen side projects.
In early June, Alex wire wheeled the iron shoe affixed to the keel, removing years worth of rust scale and paint in the process. The goal was to locate the heads of at least one of the keel bolts so they could be driven out, inspected, and if necessary, replaced. The bolt heads were discovered, but they are firmly welded to the iron shoe itself. Rather than attempt to remove them, we plan to add additional keel bolts instead. Alex applied a coat of metal primer as a protective layer in the meantime.
The Firefly’s keel, composed of wood, three lead blocks, and a cast iron shoe. Photo by Justin Murray Photography
While waiting for wood to come out of the steambox, idle half hours are spent painting on “boat sauce”, a mixture of boiled linseed oil and thinner, which helps keep wood moist and healthy.
Meanwhile at the shop, Ken has been milling down a large pile of aromatic red cedar for use in the Firefly’s interior.
New heads, a stove, and two stainless steel water tanks have also been ordered and delivered, along with a new 45 horsepower Yanmar diesel engine.
It quickly became apparent that this dolly was undersized for the job.
Looking Forward
Over the next few months, we plan to finish the Firefly’s frames, button up the transom, and turn our attention towards the bow, which needs entirely new frames, a new breasthook, knightheads, and repairs to the keel and stem.
Our biweekly open houses are on pause for the time being, but there will be a special midsummer open house tomorrow, July 25! Please feel free to stop by North End Shipyard if you are in the area!
Charlie and Kelly, who stopped by to visit, already plan on booking a trip with us next summer.
Finally, stay tuned for a special update next week about the Firefly’s history and sea stories from her first ever captain!
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