Otterblog

A record of the renovation of a
Wooden Drascombe Longboat 'Otter'

As an alternative to all the photos below here is a photo-a-day summary.

Date

Title

Number

27th September 2006

First look at Otter

001

24th October 2006

Collected Otter

002

29th October 2006

Had look at masts and sails

003

30th October 2006

Photos from above.

004

2nd November 2006

Laid paving slabs

005

9th November 2006

Took Otter off trailer

006

11th November 2006

Turned Otter over

007

12th November 2006

Transfered Otter to trailer and moved her into the garden

008

13th November 2006

Erected marquee (party tent)

009

14th November 2006

First surprise

010

15th November 2006

It just gets worse!

011

18th November 2006

And worse

012

22nd November 2006

"She looks like a L'otter work!" DH

013

26th November 2006

Starting to get philosophical

014

27th November 2006

Scraping off paint and other gunge

015

28th November 2006

The Transom

016

29th November 2006. .

Centreboard case

017

6th December 2006.

Back to work.

018

13th December 2006

Visited Siobhan

019

19th December 2006.

Removed paint from hull

020

20th December 2006.

Plan A

021

24th December 2006

Removed more keelson.

022

26th December 2006

Started trimming strakes

023

28th December 2006

Tapering the stem

024

31st December 2006

Trimmed strakes back to glue line.

025

1st January 2007

Removed bits and pieces

026

6th January 2007

Plan B

027

7th January 2007

Applied Git-Rot

028

8th January 2007

Removed aft bulkhead and made templates

029

9th January 2007

Made templates for strakes

030

10th January 2007.

Cutting the lady in half

031

12th January 2007

WEST System epoxy

032

13th January 2007

Made lazarette bulkhead

033

14th January 2007

Git-Rot test

034

15th January 2007

The Transom Revisited

035

16th January 2007

Cut out 9mm strakes

036

17th January 2007

Glued some ply and retested Git-Rot

037

18th January 2007

Steaming and laminating

038

19th January 2007

More steaming and started to fit transom repair

039

20th January 2007

Laminated centreboard case sides

040

22nd January 2007

Wood arrived & Git-Rot test

041

23rd January 2007

Started to build Rudder casing

042

25th January 2007

Laminated rudder box spacers

043

26th January 2007

Scarfed hog

044

27th January 2007

Started to fit hog

045

28th January 2007

Bonded outboard well and worked on hog.

046

29th January 2007

The last of the rot

047

30th January 2007

Front of centreboard case bulkhead

048

31st January 2007

Bits and pieces

049

1st February 2007

Bonded bulkhead

050

3rd February 2007

Bonded outboard stiffener

051

4th February 2007

Bonded new hog at front

052

8th February 2007

Snow and cartoons

053

10th February 2007

Bonded rudder case, rear bulkhead and rear hog

054

11th February 2007

Bonded on transom repair

055

12th February 2007

Started fitting the second strakes.

056

13th February 2007

Second strake and centreboard case fitting.

057

14th February 2007

Dilemma

058

15th February 2007

Cut out rear hatches

059

16th February 2007

Cockpit/cabin size

060

17th February 2007

Removed bulkhead

061

18th February 2007

Made new bulkhead and dry fitted it

062

19th February 2007

Bonded bulkhead and centreboard case

063

21st February 2007

Bonding - sidebench hatch and centreboard case

064

22nd February 2007

Bonded sidebench hatch surround

065

23rd February 2007

Bonded doublers

066

24th February 2007

Made and bonded centreboard pivot stiffeners

067

26th February 2007

Cleaned up centreboard slot and bulkheads

068

27th February 2007

Fitted starboard front garboard strake

069

28th February 2007

Painter lockers with primer

070

4th March 2007

Strake

071

5th March 2007

Bonded strake repairs

072

6th March 2007

Dry-fitted second strakes

073

7th March 2007

Bonded second strakes

074

9th March 2007

Dry-fitted port garboard strake

075

10th March 2007

Drilled and fitted bolts and screws to port garboard strake

076

14th March 2007

Bonded starboard garboard strake and stripped spars

077

16th March 2007

Bonded port garboard strake

078

21st March 2007

Dry Fitted Keelson and Stem

079

25th March 2007

Bonded keelson and stem

080

27th March 2007

Shaped keelson and stem

081

1st April 2007

Plugged holes and laminated outboard well

082

2nd April 2007

Sheathed transom and centreboard case

083

5th April 2007

Visited Brad in Poole to measure up the cabin on Siobhan.

084

6th April 2007

Glassed port side of hull

085

9th April 2007

Applied filler to hull

086

11th April 2007

Applied more filler and made bilge rubbers

087

14th April 2007

Rubbing down

088

18th April 2007

Applied two coats of epoxy then attached the bilge rubbers and the rubbing strake trim.

089

21st April 2007

Brass strip and painting

090

24th April 2007.

Reinverted Otter

091

26th April 2007

Removed washboards and mast step

092

27th April 2007

Started to mock up cabin

093

30th April 2007

Three-dimensional geometry

094

1st May 2007

Made templates for sides of cabin

095

8th May 2007

Stripped paint from deck

096

12th May 2007

Bonded front and rear of cabin

097

13th May 2007

Bonded on cabin sides

098

14th May 2007

Fitted knee/mast support and central roof beam

099

16th May 2007

Bonded in doublers to cabin sides

100

17th May 2007.

Started to fit roof to cabin

101

18th May 2007

Bonded first cabin roof panel

102

19th May 2007

Bonded second cabin roof panel

103

21st May 2007

Bonded second layer of cabin roof

104

25th May 2007

Glassed roof

105

26th May 2007

Locker lids and tabernacle

106

27th May 2007

Made hatch runners

107

28th May 2007

Made and bonded sliding hatch

108

29th May 2007

Started washboards surround

109

30th May 2007

Spars, hatch and trim

110

30th May 2007

Bonded hatch runners

111

4th June 2007

Made washboards

112

8th June2007

Rigged Otter

113

10th June 2007

Varnished sides and painted roof of cabin

114

12th June 2007

Second coat on roof and coat on decks

115

14th June 2007

Made floorboards

116

17th June 2007

Started building inside of cabin. Inserted portholes.

117

20th June 2007

She floats

118

26th June 2007

Sailing at the Grand Fleet Day at Calshot

119

12th July 2007

Started to fit out cabin

120

23rd August 2007

Discovered more rot!

121

10th September 2007

Started mending rot and removed roof

122

22nd September 2007

Put first panel on roof

123

11th October 2007

Finished roof and started hatch

124

17th January 2008.

More work on hatch and started spray hood

125

1st March 2008

Started to sew Sprayhood

126

28th April 2008

Sprayhood and tent finished.

127

7th June 2008

Latest Mods

128

23rd June 2008

Made anchor locker

129

28th June 2008

Went Sailing

130

Unless stated otherwise, © Colin Watt 2006, 2007, 2008. Please read the disclaimer.

Last updated: 6 July, 2008.