Betwixt

With the Ash beams meticulously in place, the decking in quartersawn Kiaat starts.  First the outer edge beam was fitted.  This defines the shape of the boat and it looks beautiful.  The curved pieces requires lots of shaped laminations which will give the deck stability.  The outer edge will be varnished, but the rest will be left untreated.  The beams which will be visible inside are being varnished.

Painting of the freshly sandblasted steel has been a process.  John and his assistant Maxwell would sandblast during the day.  This involved tons of black grit that covered the area in a film of black.  We hired a compressor and a sandblaster, and there were many trips to go buy more grit and more diesel.  At the end of each sandblast day, John and I would paint the clean steel with the first coat of epoxy paint, painting into the night with classic rock music playing and a glass of red wine.  Steel completely sandblasted and first coat of paint took 2 weeks.  Then additional coats of paint alternating white and grey, aiming for 6-8 coats of paint. While Maxwell continues to paint, John starts with the woodwork, because he can't help himself!  The deck beams are laminated into curves from American White Ash, each piece custom fit and bolted down with stainless steel bolts.  These bolts were bought in the UK and we brought it back in our luggage ...

With much calculated pushing and pulling with ratchets and jacks, the fully welded steel hull is rolled over on to its side.  This is the position for the next step of sandblasting the steel clean in preparation for painting.

The steel work has been a long haul.  Endless welding in every nook and cranny, at all angles;  cutting; grinding.  Lots of burn holes in shoes and gloves.  The keel compartments are almost done, and tank tops fitted;  the deck beam brackets, and chain plates have been fitted;  and the propeller aperture completed.  On the inside the brackets to hold the engine and mast are in.  A few additions of lugs and brackets, and the end of welding in sight.  Just final inspections which will involve some more grinding and touch up welding.

Lots of stick welding of the keel and water/diesel compartments.  This involved getting your body into a very small compartment upside-down and welding.  John's hobby is caving, so the small compartment bit has been practised.  The deck-stringer welding finished, and the keel welded completed in and out.  Still endless grinding and cleaning of welds, checked, re-welded, grinded, and checked again.

We took a short break visiting family in the UK, and on a quick tour around Scotland, I noted a number of charming marinas which will be future mooring places!

Decision made, cut out the very rusty bits in the keel, and carry on.  First thing was to have some steel cut to size and shape.  Working off 30 year old faded paper plans (sizes in inches and feet) John enlisted his friend Manfred to do the CAD cutting list.  Eco Laser then did an excellent job of getting the parts cut.  Then one of the first of many difficult precision fitting of the deck-stringer;  a few weeks later it was fitted and spot-welded in place.

After a week's sailing course in Cape Town, the serious job of examining the state of the rusty old steel hull began.  There was a point when we thought that there was too much rust in some of the keel plates, and even considered starting all over again; to which begged the question "should we be doing this at all?"

I needed to know if I can handle life on the water.  As part of the preparation John needs to get his skipper's license;  I decided to get a deckhand's certificate.  Our son Bruce, fresh out of university, decided to join me in learning the ropes.  I hope our older son Matthew will join in too one day, but this is a process and there will be time.  We registered with Ralph of Cape Town Sailing Academy and the lessons began.

We have come full circle.  About 30 years ago we began a boat build that took back seat as life happened.  This 35ft steel hull boat began life on a plot in Grasmere and travelled several plots landing in our current home plot;  under a roof but generally neglected. It appears to be the right time in our lives to continue the boat project.  So it began, early 2019.