Category: Restoration
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Dowager’s Hull Is Just As Bad As I Feared
The boat Dowager’s hull planking and frame have extensive rot, requiring replacement of mahogany planks, oak frame, steel knees, and the belt’s framework. Alternative materials were previously used, further deteriorating the planking. Detailed video updates on the replacement process will be shared.
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I Don’t Believe It!
I was so close to getting the stern hold complete this week. I thought I’d had it cracked. Whilst scraping off the last bit of old paintwork and rust streaks in a tucked-away corner last night, it seemed a part of the inner hull planking felt a bit ‘hollow’ under my scraper. Using the blade’s…
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Dowager’s old cork belt is finally being removed…
…and I’m not sure what to replace it with. It’s finally happened – the large cork belt running bow to stern above the waterline is coming off (it’s one hell of a rubbing strake). When I first inspected Dowager, the belt was the first thing I knew would have to be entirely replaced. Weeds were…
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Take one last look at how Dowager’s stern hold used to be…
…because (hopefully) the next photos I take from inside will show it transformed with a repaired frame section, re-sealed planking, new paintwork and reinforced racking held together with shiny bronze screws. One big question I don’t have the answer to yet is just what to do with all the buoyancy boxes that previously filled the…
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This is a real Mission: Impossible
And so it begins… At the time of writing this, it is February 2024. I have been the owner of Dowager for a little over two weeks, yet I am amazed I was able to get anywhere near her in the first place, let alone actually own what amounts to be a priceless piece of…
DOWAGER 