YWDB

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Keith66
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:10 am
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YWDB

Post by Keith66 »

I just acquired a YWDB, she has been sitting on the roof of a workshop for 10 years or more has obviously had a load of work done on her just before being laid up including new centreboard case & deck but is syffering a bit now! Im hoping the deck is recoverable, no spars or sails.
She is no 324 Dixie built by Venables in 1963, rather strange it turns out the the builder's yard was just a mile from where i live & i had never heard of him. He did a good job though.
Now got to work out how to get her down of the roof!
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: YWDB

Post by Rupert »

You could cut round the boat with a saw and stand back?
Rupert
chris
Posts: 2474
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:43 pm
Location: somerset

Re: YWDB

Post by chris »

a few of Shearwater members and associated friends are keen YW Day Boaters. One has just finished one from a new plastic hull and years ago had a ribbed one, another ex member built a lovely one from scratch. If you need any advice I'm sure we can put you in touch. I know the length on anchor chain is specified for the weight rules!
Keith66
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:10 am
Location: Benfleet
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Re: YWDB

Post by Keith66 »

Well we went down to Leigh today & got the DB of the boatyard roof, it was more than a bit hairy with a block & tackle hanging of one of the forks of their forklift truck, we shoved her out over thin air until she nose dived of the roof good job the mast post was strong as thats what we tied the tackle to & it kept her from hitting the ground at high velocity! Once her bow was down on a tyre we swapped the tackle to the stern & swung it round. Bloody heavy old beast!
The yard owner looked a bit sick as she is actually in far better condition than he had thought.
It turns out she was substantially refitted 12 years ago with new CB case & new deck plus a lot of new ribs. The deck was edged with a rubbing band of 12mm maple with mahogany outboard from that, main problem seems to be that water has gotten in round the chainplates & the maple has gone rotten in a few places. The deck itself seems to be sound. So it looks like new rubbing bands a few small graving pieces & a small section of the transom top needs cutting out & new bit scarping in.
No broken ribs & the planking is first class. Under the aft deck was a box full of fittings.
She is now sitting down the club with a temporary cover on.
All in all a splendid result, all i have to do now is find a mast & suit of sails!
Keith66
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Re: YWDB

Post by Keith66 »

Update on Dixie, was it really 2014? Better get my finger out!
I put her in my workshop last winter & have made a good start, the Stem turned out to have a patch of rot & this extended into the apron so both have been removed & replaced. The deck turned out to be 1/4" marine ply so rather thick & heavy. Unfortunately the water had gotten into the gaboon core & it was rotten in too many places to get away with. So last week the whole deck was removed, the deck structure has now all been cleaned up & is in fine condition.
The sheerstrake has luckily escaped the rot in the deck, only bits left to do before new deck are a couple of graving pieces in the top corners of the transom.
The last rebuilder had gone overboard fitting extra knees under the side decks made from thick oak plus an aft bulkhead & other heavy bits. I know she is never going to be a light boat but i reckon i can lose a good few pounds without even trying. She most certainly is going to have to live on a mooring, i cant face pulling her up the slipway!
Im now at a bit of a quandary, the price of Robbins sapele faced ply is such that im finding it hard to justify.
Tiger striped sapele is going to cost over £450 with vat & delivery.
Looks like favoured option will be 4mm elite at under half that , its far to light in colour but i have an idea, I was recently given a stack of mahogany veneer, im thinking buy the cheaper ply & vacuum bag the mahog veneer onto it.
But then a friend said dont do that, cut the panels 1" oversize give them to me with the veneer & i will put them in the veneer press at work (big joinery factory) Now that sounds like a plan! More later.
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PeterV
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:47 pm
Location: Locks Heath, Hampshire

Re: YWDB

Post by PeterV »

Sounds like a good idea with the ply. I used the Tiger sapele for a centreboard case on the Finn where I needed strength but I used Elite on the decks of the Finn and Swift because it's so much lighter in weight. The deck of the Finn actually matched the colour of the Fairey side tanks quite well, and the colour has definitely got better with age. I thought about using a darker ply on the Swift but didn't want the weight, and the colour doesn't look as bad as I thought it might.
PeterV
Finn K197 & GBR564
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Keith66
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Re: YWDB

Post by Keith66 »

New update on Dixie. I bought Robbins 4mm gaboon ply, cut the panels 1" oversize & my friend Veneered them in his works veneer press with some lovely sapele veneer bringing it to 5mm. While i was waiting i burnt off the last of the paint & found two bad planks halfway down the topsides. Both had shattered edges So the offending planks were removed & replaced, i was able to get away with a 6ft section scarfed in each side.
While sanding the hull down i found that someone in the past has actually replaced her bottom planking below the waterline, i suspect this was part of the rebuild when her centreboard case was renewed about 20 years ago.
Last week i started to pull the hood end nails round the transom as they were loose & found a couple of bits of rot, bite the bullet, out comes the transom. Fortunately i was given a lovely honduras mahogany table top recently so nice new transom made & fitted in one day. Just as im about to final fit i find.... you guessed it more sodding rot, this time in the end of the hog & keel. AARRRGH!
Of to work this morning in a black mood. Just been out there & poked & prodded & hammered the rest of it, seems fine. Sawed the end foot off & thank god its sound, so a couple of sections scarfed in & she is good to go.
A good wooden mast was recently acquired from a Dayboat that was burnt a few years ago so its getting there.
Heres hoping i dont get any more surprises.!
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