My boat has no fittings on it and a lot less paint than 2 days ago.  It's no use for anything in its present state and I'm sad.  Very sad.

On the plus side we've remove the planks from the rear-tank that held the spurious gay little holt bags on the back tank and the (equally spurious - I'm 6'5") steps necessary to help shortarse helms reach the gunwhale.  The steps were screwed through from the outside of the hull - genius!!!!!

Photos next week!!!!!!

Just thought - i don't think those steps are quite as spurious as they appear. They will be very effective at spreading the load of a 6'5" helmsman's feet along the plank joins and stop them from splitting, especially in an older boat. They probably are not origional (PK would know) but they will undoubtedly have been put there for a reason, origional or not.

I'd be inclined to put them back, but once the glue has gone off take out the screws and fill the holes up.

Chris, my feet never go there, all they do is make it harder for me to get my feet under the straps in a hurry.

They were put on by the previous owner.

i want some steps, i struggle to get back out after tack or gybe

Lol,  my feet just stay pretty much in the middle of the boat.

Hmm, that being the case then try it and see.

In Armed Forces the first 4 planks each had a stiffener along the join and the bottom 2 had a plywood pad on the plank itself.

This is all structural and you mess with it at your peril!

Certainly steps above the 4 lower planks are unnecessary and add extra weight. If the stiffeners were on any of the lower 4 joins i'd definatley put them back - you'd be suprised where your feet end up when roll tacking!

Why would you remove them anyway ? It cant be saving you that much weight !

i'm 5' 6"" and really need those steps!

Me too im 5.9" and need them as well i have to run like buggery when i tack and gybe. Steps wuld make it so much easier to get my arse back out

Jon, 
At this time of year it all looks 'orrid when you've stripped off everything (and the boat looks pretty dreadful as well...)
merry new xmas and happy year (or something..)

Thanks mate,

When are we going to go for a beer?

Jon, I have just done the Bloody Mary and when we got the boat there i discovered that the plank with the top step on it has been flexing so much in transit that it has broken the step away from the plank. I should put your steps back if i were you as i would hate to see how much it would flex without them!! I also dropped the bow on the slipway launching her and damaged the stem so got lots of repairs to do now! Might miss Wembley after all as i have someone elses Solo in the garage at the moment which i am nearing the end of a complete refurb before i can get mine in!

I'm now officially sick to death of sanding and I've got 2 of 16 planks left to do.  Next step is to seal the plank edges at the lands where there is no melamine.  On the bright side the melamine faced planking is a really nice surface and has been unaffected by use of the heatgun.

We've taken absolutely masses of paint off her so it looks like she's had several quite thick "touch-up" coats applied since the original spray coats.  There is also some surface cracking to the melamine on the garboards which we're a little unsure how to treat at the moment.  I think we'll put the undercoat on and see what they look like.  We've bought proper 2-pot international undercoat and overcoat so it should be a good hard outer coat.

I'd definately say that the more I work on it the more I look forward to the season ahead - is the true joy of owning a wooden boat the winter work and the summer reward?  Can't wait for Rutland - any one else coming?

The true joy of owning a wooden boat is the winter work - that's it!!!

Not so convinced myself. That said i spent the whole of last winter re-furbing 1781 and so far this year i have re-painted 3446 and am currently re-furbing a Solo for someone. Once i have finished that there is lots of work tobe done to 3550 including a re-paint, re-varnish, replacing a bit of rot at the basr of the hoop, re-glueing the steps and painting the inside. Once that one is done i need to put new decks on my OK as it was left sitting out in the winter last year while i did 1781!! 

I think when i have finished that lot i will like to go sailing just for a rest even if not for the fun of it!

Joys of owning wood!! (Still would not have it any other way though)