MFV BF494 'Pansy', an old Motor Fifie Conversion

ok, bit splurge of energy today, plan was do last bits of 'stuff' to get deck ready for replanking. Sauntered along the marina to find No 2 have a small lie down on the pontoon dressed in overalls and knee pads. Didn't have the heart to tell him he had the knee pads on the wrong way round. First job, remove the winch, that became second job as first job was get angle grinder and grind off several hundred 16mm bolts that had rusted solid. A cunning combination of swearing, leverage and some dragging got the winch over the void, down to the side of the boat, up and over onto the pontoon - all quarter of a ton of it singlehandedly!

remaining bit of deck was ripped up, and lo and behold a nice big clear area ready to run some planks on. Looks to nice to hide really, so might abandon the wooden planking and cover it in perspex instead, be great for looking up ladies skirts, but in that vain, kilt wearing scotsman will have to be banned from setting foot on deck

No 2 had by this time moved from the prone working position, to the sitting down in the punt working position to rake out more of the seams. His position on the port side easily identified by regular smoky fug rising up above the bulwarks!

so there we go, all knee'd up and beamy ready for some thumb bashing fun which will no doubt be part of the deck laying procedure.

Did also do a bit caulking with no 2 as well. The planks haven't half opened up with being stood for a year. whilst the venetian blind effect is quite pleasing to the eye from below, I suspect it may impair her sea worthiness a bit. A few quick sums, and we've only got about half a mile of the flippin stuff to hammer home then primer, seam sealer, paint..... and then the coachroof and wheelhouse. Although a certain trawlerman thats currently visiting these parts, and who shall remain nameless (James Jack!) has offered to bring his big hammer down and help with the wheelhouse adjustments. he'd best get a move on though, anyhing over a Force 5 in the next week or 3 will probably do the job for him

lots of nice new oak beams and oak knees, vaguely interesting that all the rot was starboard side, port side is all pretty sound

oh yeah, nearly forgot about the spam! The blog has been getting spammed to buggery and back the last few weeks, people leaving trackbacks - basically a link to their site hiding as a comment. Don't mind publishing track back links to other sites, but it would be nice if folks asked first!