The biggest project we’ll be working on this winter is building a new fridge and freezer for the boat. After thinking about this project for several years, we decided that the space between trunk cabin and the front of the pilothouse is the perfect spot since it’s a space that doesn’t get much use. We also need to remove some of the original wood from the front of the pilothouse that has started rotting. Most of the rot has come from rainwater that settles in under the pockets where the windows drop down.
This week was devoted to removing the old wood and assessing what needs to be replaced. Click on the pictures to see them as larger images.
Jeffrey stands by the pilothouse of the David B before starting to remove the wood below the windows.
After cutting a guide line, Jeffrey starts demolition.
After opening up the front of the pilothouse, we exposed the inside of the window pockets. The small knee-like object is the stop for the window when it’s lowered.
Jeffrey removing parts of the sill that the pilothouse sits on.
The end of the first day of demolition.
We found some interesting objects in the window pockets. Here are two wedges that are used to slid in between a window and the window pocket frame. Jeffrey made a set of these in our second year of operation. We used them to lower the windows a little way.
Inside of the window pockets. To keep the rain out and prevent rot, the original shipwrights put painted canvas against the back of the inside tongue and groove. The wood was painted with white lead.
We found this tool in one of the window pockets. Neither one of us know what it was used for, but someone was probably bummed when they lost it.
