Modifying the cratch and top-plank bracket

The newly fabricated foldable steel A-frame

The A-frame folded down, the cratch board hinges have been freed off and a new (possibly glazed) cratch board will be made and new carved hardwood upstands for the hinges. the top planks will be replaced with wider and thicker green oak planks.

Nadolig LLawen a Flwyddyn Newydd DDa!

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!

We hope you all have a happy, healthy New Year and a safe year's boating ;o)

A new forepeak 'cabin'

While we were welding the new gunwales it became necessary to move the badly rotted box and cratch board on the bow of Freyja, not surprisingly, it fell to bits!

All that was left of the box that was on Freyja's bow!

The 1st panel tacked into place

The three sides welded in and braced

We have our forepeak box / cabin back ;o)

My motorbike on our tugdeck

Bruce finished off welding the starboard gunwales and crane mount and we mounted the crane.

So, I finally brought my 1939 B.S.A. model G14 1,000cc v-twin down to the boat so that we could try the new crane in anger and also to check headroom and handlebar width in relation to the top plank and the tarpaulins.

Up she goes!

Starting to swing her around

Coping easily with my B.S.A.'s heavy forged steel girder frame

Almost there

Safely in place, but I'll be laying oak floorboards with recesses to help her stand up and to allow her to sit on the frame's underbelly. I'm also replacing the top planks with wider green oak boards which will give more clearance for those wide Indian handlebars (will still have to loosen the clamps and swing the bars downwards methinks.

My old B.S.A., minus it's engine, gets it's first introduction to it's future home. The crane coped easily with it ;o) All of the bow section wood and ply was rotten and has collapsed. We'll fabricate a new section in steel with oak panels to preserve the look. The front cratch board will be able to fold down as will the metal A-frame that we will fabricate to replace the grey one seen here, this will let us to lower the top plank when going under low bridges, tunnels and lock guillotines.