PROJECT DETAIL

From lines to lofting

For any boat the first task is to translate  Nat's lines drawing  into construction scale on the newly painted floor of the outer shed. Lofting  the boat takes several days--to lay out a grid and then scale out the measurements from the drawing. Ross--watched by his off-camera dog, Luke--marks out the drawing here.

On day three the mold for the stem is being made. The left tips of the wood pieces are alined on the hull line, nailed proud of the floor, a thin piece of plywood slipped underneath to trace the line of the stem. 

Stem and stern

Marty and the Shy Shipwright are laying down the cypress planks for the transom over the transom mold.  Marty then moves inside to shape the transom knee.

In the outer shop again where the boat is lofted, the two of them push the stem timber through the bandsaw.

Keel timber laid

The keel timber is being cut to width by Marty. Both the keel and stem are of angelique, one of the South American hardwoods we use.

By the next day, the transom and keel timber are fastened together with the knee.

Stem put together

       Our "shy shipwright" works on the stem, chiseling out the rabbet to receive the planks.  He and Ross take a final look before the stem is completed.  A close -up of the stem shows his handiwork

     The sign on the shop beam (middle picture) reads: "Help Wanted. No Irish Need Apply," a gift from Ross Gannon's niece as G&B got underway.

Chines and clamps

     Marty has brought in to the shop 30' lengths of angelique from which he shapes the chine and clamps.  Both need to be scarfed--or joined with a chamfer or notch, overlapping--because the wood doesn't capture the full 32' of "zoom's" length.

     After the pieces are scarfed, glued and clamped together, they are stored on a rack in the "solarium," the tempory shed of frame and plastic erected to enclose the outer shed during the cold winter months.

   The diagonal scarf  joint is nearly invisible under the clamps>

Puzzle pieces

     With most of the major pieces cut and shaped, Ross goes on making the frames in the outer shop   One wonders how he keeps it all straight with lines and measurements under the sawdust, people wandering through and across his measurements, and wood  scattered about.

    The first of the frames are seen in the foreground.  Ready at the back of the shop are the transom and a pile of the floor timbers. Behind the floor timbers is the finished stem.

    In two more days, the frames should be finished. The third frame shows the frames being bolted together. Ross is yet undecided about whether to build the boat right side up or upside down.  Either way it will have to be flipped over at some point during the construction.

To be upside down

     The frames are bolted together and stacked to one side.  With the backbone, stem and transom fastened together in an upright position, the floor timbers are fastened to backbone. The decision, though, is to build the boat upside down, so with the floor timbers now in place, the skeleton is laid on its side and hoisted into the air, upside down.

Up in the air

     With the boat's skeleton in the air, Marty and his pal build the "strong back"--or crib--underneath it so they can begin to frame the boat. The skeleton will be lowered into place and the frames bolted to the floor timbers.

 In the rightmost picture, you can see the string pulled taut to mark the center of the boat. The two shipwrights are measuring to establish the stations for the frames on the "strong back."   

Establishing chine and sheer

   By the last day of February, the chine and shear planks are on. There will be two steam-bent frames interpersed between each of the nine sawn frames of the vessel. After a heavy snow fall, Marty loads up the steam box with frames, and 46 steam-bent frames are in place at the end of the day.

Chine and sheer planks on

    By the last day of February, the chine and sheer planks are on. There will be two steam-bent frames interpersed between each of Zoom's  nine sawn frames. After a heavy snow fall, Marty loads up the steam box with frames, and 46 steam-bent frames are in place at the end of the day.

Spray rail

   The Shy Shipwright fastens on the spray rail. Then, several weeks of planking, and Zoom is ready for her shutter plank.

Closed up & skeg begun

Robert Bennett has the pleasure of fitting in the shutter plank, and he then moves right on to planing the hull. In between, there is the usual shutter celebration.

Meanwhile, Marty has located a large angelique timber to be shaped into Zoom's skeg and--without photographic tracking--brought it from Bargain Acres to the yard, where it rests astride sawhorses.

Shaping and planing the skeg

Marty spends the next week or so shaping the skeg.

Fitting the skeg

The skeg is hoisted into place, and Marty is back to planing again. He  looks happy to be back in the driving seat, doesn't he?  He smears black roofing cement to help seat the skeg where it is scarfed together.

Rolling her over

In mid-June the crew rolls Zoom over. Molds shaped to the hull have been made to act as "rockers" as the boat goes over.  Up top, Thomas Stackpole and Ian keep the chain flowing smoothly and stay upright using the same footwork as loggers on a log boom.

Fully over

The actual rollover takes less than an hour, but Zoom's size requires careful measurements. When on her side, she clears the rafters by a few mere inches. 

Interior progress

    The transom knee and carlins are in place, as are the bulkheads and the 270hp Cummins engine.

    Thomas Planche, a French intern from the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) in Newport, RI, planes aft.

Ceiling and deck framing

The cabin ceiling is on, and Marty works on building the starboard berth.

Deck framing is going on.  The white tank in the cockpit is for water. Two fuel tanks will go further aft.

Plugging away on the interior

A view from the catwalk of the cabin, with the head and sink located on the port side. 

A view forward: the ceiling finished and the two berths built.

Deck framing in the bow.

 

Deck going down

Zoom's deck framing is done, and Jeb Bell puts down the marine plywood in the cockpit before moving to work on Leviathan.

A teak deck is a recent decision by the owner.  Duane Case and Matthew Hobart lay down the cockpit sole.

The devil's in the details

    More than one thousand bungs were used in laying the deck, and each is chisled flat by hand.

    One of the two cockpit hatch covers is installed.

    A scarf on the port side deck.

Everyone on deck

    Everyone has a hand in laying the deck: Duane Case works on the port side, while Ross--working with an out-of-sight Robert at the after end of the plank--clamps a plank in place. The planks are bent raw and wedged into place with 1/8" bronze spacers used to maintain even spacing.

    Cleaned up, the deck looks great even without its cauling, which will be done after the cabin is built.

Lots going on

    Everytime the dust and chips settle, Lesli Harrer applies sealer, sands and gets on a first coat of varnish.

   Robert is putting in a beam for the cabin top, while Marty makes up the engine box.

Coverings

         In late day chiaroscuro around Thanksgiving time, Robert, Ross and Ross' son, Lyle, begin to put down the dynel on the cabin top.

        With the cabin top done--except for paint on the dynel--the frame goes up for the wheel house, and by Christmas the basic house is in place .

Shaping up

      The wheel house is trimmed out, and Robert begins to work on the companionway door.

      The week's prize, though, goes to Duane who spends it pretty much as you see him--on his stomach, plumbing.

Finishing choices

       Behind the carpenty and plumbing, Lesli follows sanding, sealing and applying a first coat of varnish. She's omnipresent on boat now!  And, she even has her son, Daine, in a bunging apprenticeship.

       Still unknown is the owner's decision on how to finish the house: to varnish it entirely or to varnish below the seam (to be covered with an eyebrow molding) and paint above.

      Ross is modeling the wheel house to show the owner that there is more than 6' of clearance for the driver.

      The big news of the New Year is that "Zoom" has received her official name:  "Alliance." It still doesn't come easily, but we're working on it.

     

Finished until spring

      Alliance is fully built, her wheel house trimmed out (with radar being tried out on top), and all brightwork surfaces sealed.  We will wait for 2007's real spring weather before installing the boat's systems and doing the final paint and varnish work.

     We're at work on indoor projects for awhile.

    

Launch Day

    The May 19 launch day was overcast but very festive nonetheless with a large crowd of well wishers and and a delightful reception afterwards offered by the owners to the building crew and well-wishers.

     Lyn Cook's fine tennis swing broke the bottle on the first try, and Alliance began her slide down the ways.

     The shot of Alliance underway with the family aboard was taken by Bill Henchey, owner of lobster boat Leviathan, under repair on the railway during much of Alliance's construction. 

Alliance's tender

   We also built an 11' tender for Alliance.

Steaming along

      A final shot, as Alliance picks up speed and heads out of the harbor.

     Photo: Kirsten Scott