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ELISSA Redivivus ~ 2012 Restoration

This week in the shipyard:

Monday September 24, 2012

This week at the shipyard began with cropping out an additional 4" of the garboard strake at frames 69 to 73 on the starboard side of the ship.  The frames are numbered from aft to forward with frame number 1 being at the stern post.  I was very happy to see over 3/8" late thickness at the cut.  The original scantlings for the shell plate at the garboard near the bow is 7/16" - so we have suffered very little wastage at this plate.  Unfortunately the electrolytic corrosion does not care if the plate is thick or thin and will attack both with equal vigor.


The cropped garboard plate

 note the butt joint and butt backing plate and the concrete... more about the concrete later.



 This frame angle flange is a little too thin for welding the new shell plate  and will need to be renewed.

While over on the port side, just aft of the bow, a worker is scaling the exposed frames in preparation for tacking up a new plate.

...and the never ending battle of removing the concrete from the bilges. 

More cropping out of shell plate in search of thicker plate at the stern on port and

 on the starboard side.

A good welder can wash off a section of shell plate with a cutting torch and barely kiss the iron frame underneath.





In the late morning a reporter from the local Houston Fox News affiliate, Channel 26, dropped by to shoot some footage for a story on the work being performed on the official tall ship of Texas ELISSA.

Here is a link to the footage: 

ELISSA on Fox Channel 26

Bosun Mark found a section of piping that had a pin hole leak. 

 It is so very vital to keep coatings on everything in the bilge...including the underside of a reverse bend.  All the effort we put into maintenance is paid back in full measures.  Always keep in mind that the "underside" of a bit of gear is still a "side" to be coated -  whether piping or the main pin rail and fife rails.

At the close of another day.

 

Tuesday September 25, 2012

Tuesday morning was beautiful with a glorious sunrise and the ever present staccato of the chipping hammer picking away at the concrete in the bow and stern.

Almost looks as if our ELISSA is missing a tooth.

Later in the morning, the Coast Guard inspector showed up to take a look at what was revealed by the additional cropping of plate and if the resulting edges were at the required thickness for welding in an insert plate.

The framing at frames 63- 66 appeared sound, but the plate was still too thin at about 1/4"

A beautiful original frame from 1877 Aberdeen, Scotland and the yard of Alexander Hall & Co.

At the lower edge of the cut out on the after port bow, the concrete was chipped away and exposed this butt plate and wash plate with limber hole.

It is always difficult to gage what amount of cropping back will result in thick enough plate.  When the plating in question is steel plate from the Greek restoration or Galveston first restoration, it is not a difficult decision.  When it is the original historic wrought iron plate, the decision is more difficult, but in the end - it is whatever is best for the safe operation of the ship and her company



The Coast Guard was not satisfied and directed that additional plate needed to be cropped back in several locations already openned up. 

Here the crew is marking the radius for the upper edge of the enlarged cut out.

 
While aft at the stern and under the thrust bearing of the tail shaft... more concrete and cropping is needed.