So five days in to the refit of Good Expectation our local shipwright in Antigua, Mr Alford Cochrane has made great progress on replacing the transom supports with his own locally grown Mahogony, notice the shaped pieces in the corner, all carved by hand to fit...
These frames are the very heart of the boat and vital to its integrity, when installed correctly and regularly maintained they can last for decades even in the harsh tropical climate of the Caribbean. The curved pieces are chosen specifically from rough lumber for their suitable shape....
Mr Cochrane's second in command is "bowtie" he has been working on the hull planks cleaning them up to see which need replacing due to worm damage and preparing the seams for re-caulking. Where the worms have the got in the whole plank must come out because like termites they will eat away until the plank is no more! Regular maintenance and an annual haul out to reapply antifoul is crucial for keeping the worms at bay! The following shot highlights the damage worms can do if left unchecked...
So after pointing out the progress to date...
Its time for a well earned end of week beer, ice cold of course...
Will keep you posted same time next week when work will have commenced on replanking the hull...!
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