Coronet1885

America's Most Historic Yacht

Progress through September 2016

Posted By on September 18, 2016

Long overdue update

The crew has finished planking the interior. You may recall that this is all double planked, so it’s quite strong and stiff. Not bad looking either…

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Back aft, a number of sole bearers (the boat version of floor joists) have been installed.

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These land on wooden pads and are secured with through-bolts through angled bronze pieces.

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Above, you can see the curved sky lights.

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The yellow pine ceiling (inner planking) stops just shy of the stem up forward.

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From the outside, you can see the gap. This is a view from the port side, looking into the stem of the boat. The starboard ceiling planking is just visible through the gap, and the built-up stem is on the left in this photo.

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Inside, the sheer clamps are reinforced where they come into the stem with a massive bronze breast hook (the dark metal).

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Back aft, the ceiling goes down almost to the horn timber and rudder post.

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The horn timber is the heavy fore-aft timber that supports the transom, and the rudder post is the large vertical timber going through it.

The crew have also been continuing their work on the exterior double planking. Here you can see the layers as they’re laid up. The blue arrow points to the inner layer. The outer layer is built up on top of that, with the out seams falling in the center of the inner plank.

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The green arrow points to a temporary batten fastened to the frames. It will come off as the planking moves upward.

Rather than have the plank ends that butt up against on another, the team scarfs multiple lengths of planking together to form continuous planking that runs the length of the boat.

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Coronet was originally built with many grown knees to brace and support the deck beams. Here are a number of these knees that were removed during disassembly. You can still see the original fastener holes in them.

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The old knees are being repaired and re-used in the restoration. Here you can see how the holes have been filled with solid wood plugs, and rectangular dutchmen (i.e., patches) are let in to ares where the wood was weak or rotted.

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The knees are then reinstalled in the boat.

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That’s it for now!


Comments

16 Responses to “Progress through September 2016”

  1. David Hassen says:

    I am interested in learning more about this boat.

    I believe my grandfather sailed on it while a member of Sanfords church.

  2. Chuck Hancock says:

    Fantastic. I love the recycled knees. And that interior planking is beautiful. Thanks a million for the update.

  3. Tim Murray says:

    Thanks for the update, Tom. Been checking weekly for a l o n g time! She looks lovely, really taking shape. It warms my heart to see those old knees going back into her. I remember them well.

  4. Mike says:

    Thanks for the update.

  5. Evan says:

    So beautiful! I love the behind-the-scenes look at your team’s craftsmanship. Thanks for the update.

  6. Robert Smart says:

    Thanks so much for keeping the updates coming!

  7. Dan says:

    Been following the project since the beginning. What an amazing achievement by the team so far! Keep up the great work. Enjoy following the progress so much!!

  8. Keith Taylor says:

    Memories of Coronat visit before she was hauled. Weatherbeaten, flaking paint, badly hogged A tour below was heartbreaking. Mostly gutted interior, damp and everywhere the smell of rot. What an amazing contrast. Superb work, substantially better than new. This is not yacht construction. it is a work of art.

  9. Martin Wilhelm says:

    Will there be no more update? In othe rwords, is it worth waiting for another year? This intenetsite is really fascinating and I am longing to see and read more of Coronet.

    Regards,

    Martin

  10. admin says:

    Unfortunately the project is currently on hold, so no updates until it resumes. .. we’re all hoping that it will restart soon.

  11. mike says:

    I do hope they are able to continue. She’s a beautiful ship.

  12. David S. Wilson says:

    Can you please update me as to how the restoration is coming along.

  13. admin says:

    The project is currently paused.

  14. Carol Campbell says:

    I am sorry to hear that the project is on hold. I am wondering why and is there anything that can be done. Letters etc. The project is tremendously important. I had two family members sail on the Coronet to Africa with Frank Sandford. My great grandfather died on the ship at Cape Verde while serving as ship’s steward to the Sanford family.

  15. Carol Campbell says:

    I am sorry to hear that the project is on hold. I am wondering why and is there anything that can be done. Letters etc. The project is tremendously important.

  16. admin says:

    Thank you for taking the time to write. I have high hopes that the project will restart, just not sure when.

    Best,
    Tom

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