CODBLOG 7 — Start of the Rebuild

The floorbeams that came out were mostly in two halves. By putting them together a template could be made to make new beams using 1.5ins. thick oak. This is were we missed having a bandsaw. Rod Yates sourced the timber and also found someone to cut it to shape. With a little tweaking when offered up to the boat they fitted perfectly.

Arthur Davies, who is the font of all knowledge on COD reconstruction then gave us the first lesson in the art of riveting. This is a two-man (or woman!) operation which involves drilling and fitting a copper nail from the outside and securing it with a washer-like “rove” from the inside. All this co-ordinated activity with “dollies” and ball-pein hammers is very manual but it does give a satisfying end result when the piece is secured in place.

Once all the floor beams are back in place the hull feels more rigid and we can safely start on removing and replacing ribs.