Ridge Pole
On Friday, we placed the first king post. Today Monday, we placed three more kingposts and crowned them with the first section of the ridgepole. Each of the individual pieces had been cut and shaped by the volunteers working with great competence and good will.
Kingposts and ridge pole in place
The essential ingredient in the the solid progress we are making on this project is the collective wisdom and skill of our volunteers. In our group we have 400 years of life experience, that is daily brought to fruitful bearing on every aspect of the work.
The ridge pole crew: John R,, Bob W,, Gordon, and Greg
The crew was generously supported by Hazel Wunschel in period dress who brought orange juice, coffee and donuts for our mid morning break.
Significant Milestone
Today Alexander and volunteers Jon, Alyn, Bob A, Tom and Gordon shaped , hoisted, and placed the last of the rim poles. We are now ready to assemble the roof pieces which have been concurrently shaped.
Last rim log and gin poles
With the keel in place and the roof structure base in place, now the sheltering roof will now go quickly up.
keel and roof frame in place
Astillero and Keel progress
The Boat shed continues to go up. The last two rim logs are being peeled and shaped for installation. The king posts that will hold the ridge pole are being cut to shape for the next phase.
Volunteers preparing timbers
All the various pieces of the roof are being shaped and will enable the roof structure to be assembled with relative speed.
View of the work from inside the boat shed
Each of the crossties will carry a king post that will in turn carry the ridge pole that will support the rafters.
Bob cutting mortises for the king posts
Keel treatment and roof structure
The volunteers began work on the roof structure, trusses consisting of five separate pieces: a king post two rafters and two braces.
Working king posts and rafters
In order to keep the newly returned keel in good shape, not too affected by the drying forces of the Florida sun, it has been coated with a pine tar solution.
The keel painted with pine tar with the rib placements marked.
Today we had visitors from the Foundation Board, Maury and Sam who met with Alexander and “Pedro”. The group was photographed and desigated by volunteer Patrick as the “braintrust”.
Visitors to the keel
The Keel Back on Site
After the ceremonial keel laying the keel stock, still needing further shaping was taken to the sawmill and then back to Capt John’s shop. This work being accomplished, the keel has been brought back to the Astillero where it will now stay until the Chalupa is completely built.
The keel back in the boat shed
The two pieces of the keel and the two stems are now joined by two oak dowels driven through precisely drilled holes at each scarf joint.
Alexander driving oak dowels to join the two keel pieces. [p.fagan photo
Volunteers at work
Shaping the rim log
Below are shots of the volunteers at work.
Patrick
Greg
Gordon
Alyn
One rim log in place
A rim log in place another being prepared
Alexander and the volunteers placed one of the rim logs on top of the standing posts. The big pine blocks in the shed are waiting for the return of the keel.
Cross-ties and Rim Logs
Peeling the long rim logs
Two good work days have seen the addition of two more cross-ties and the peeling and shaping of the first of two rim logs.
Patrick setting the end of a cross-tie
Cross-ties ready for the rim log
Long Pine Logs for Top Plates
On April 3rd, Alexander, Alyn, and Patrick went back to the woodlot to cut and load 26+ foot pine logs that will be used as top plates running along the 2 rows of standing posts to form the base of the roof rafters.
2 long pine logs on the boat trailer
Alyn and Patrick hauling logs up onto the trailer
The Keel-laying and Dock dedication Ceremony
On March 22nd, on a beautiful evening the Keel was “truly and properly laid.”
“Pedro Mendez” addressed the crowd about the significance of this deed
A lesson in history
Part 2 of the Ceremony was the cutting of the ribbon and dedication of the new 650 foot dock led by the Fraser family representative, John Fraser
Cutting the Ribbon
Follow Us!
By PRIMEBTS free bet