Bergalia Project (split)

[Guillermo]

BERGALIA:
I would like to have a look at your 35' sailing coffin. Any photos?
Unluckily I cannot help you in the search of boyfriends for your girls...! As I'm 54, my boys ar still quite young for them, most probably.

[safewalrus]

Hey Bergalia further Guillermo's comments above - obviously from from the wrong thread at 58 years young I'd like to offer my services but this might mean I'd become related to you and would have to drink the wrong kind of whisky and wear a dress and as you know we English do not take kindly to cross dressing (unles it's pink) (what's that? an Englishman invented the small kilt! aye he did to! wanted to sell it to our colonial friends across the Atlantic - suceeded too - they'd wear anything -and yes the Irish invented the bagpipe but the Scots hav'na seen the joke yet!

[Bergalia]

Guillermo - will attach pic by next 'post'.
Walrus old chum - thought you'd taken 'umbrage' at my Texas Kill Zone Post.
But to both of you - sorry to have picked up this thread 'late'.
Bloody local council has had a blitz on properties with septic tanks (in my case a sceptic tank) and unfortunately owning an old - by Aussie standards - old property (120 years) the tank and run-offs are rather choked with tree roots, Cornish Pasties, dead Roos (not dissimilar to Cornish Pasties), Tasmanian Tigers, and broken dreams - I've had to dig replacements. Thank the lord for John Deere (the only good thing to come from America) whose excellent machines run on a mix of kerosene and diesel. Didn't even have to wash my hands before returning to the keyboard.
Seem to have solved problem of daughters - haven't seen them since I back-filled the trench...

[Bergalia]

Not the best of pics Guillermo - but it should give you a rough idea. The odd looking 'shed' on top is not part of the final plan (not that I have a plan - just working to 'guess and by god'.) It's my portable workshop - and shelter from the Aussie sun. She's coming together slowly as materials are mainly 'recycled'. The hull planking is Australian 'iron bark' - boards from the old village community centre. Beautiful stuff - (so - one or two nail holes... but that's what putty is for...) just tossed away when they replaced the floor with cement.
Engine is a rebuilt Volvo-Penta 3-piston job - salvaged from a 'weekend' yottie who went down in a storm a couple/three years back (Year of the Sydney-Hobart fiasco). Owner was OK - as was the engine when quickly stripped down and soaked in diesel (and kerosene). I bought it (in three tea-chests for $50) Only the injectors needed re-setting. I think I've put it back together properly - three or four odd shaped bits which didn't seem to fit - so I'll use them as ballast.
Now that daughters have 'vanished' I'll be able to use their bedlinen as sails.... But will keep you posted as progress continues. I'm in no hurry. Death can wait...

[Guillermo]

Wonderful project, Bergalia. I'll be most interested in seeing the advances.

Another matter: I've read that tasmanian Blue Gum was thoroughly used in naval construction 100 yeras ago down there. Do you know if it is still used? We have a lot of Blue Gum woods in Galicia (mainly for paper paste production) and we have several boatyards still working in wood (mainly fishing boats), using Blue Gum for the hull structure with good results.

[Bergalia]

Still one or two 'wooden boat' builders along my part of the coast (300 km south of Sydney) but unfortunately 'glass' is mainly favoured. Tasmania still has a few craftsmen left, and I should think they use locally grown materials, but I expect there will be more authorative answers coming from my fellow Aussies.
What I can say, Guillermo is that Australia has a splendid variety of timber, from native cedars through a whole variety of 'gums'. Many with grains perfect for boat building.
As to the progress - well as I say, it'll be slow - but I'll keep you 'posted'.

[safewalrus]

hey Bergalia old buddy, that there village hall, did they know the planks were redundant when you assisted with there removal? have heard tell stories you see, didna believe em, but when you gets to doing a bit of 'walrusing you gets to thinkin see

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by safewalrus

hey Bergalia old buddy, that there village hall, did they know the planks were redundant when you assisted with there removal?

I used the old Scots ploy of claiming I'd dropped "A wee sixpence' between cracks in the boards...And lay on the floor drumming my heels in anguish. As I was wearing my summer mini kilt at the time - which coincided with a meeting of the local Country Womens Association (Australian version of Womens Institute' - no member under fifty years of age) my distress (or undress) rapidly spread to the assemblage - who as one began ripping up the boards in an effort to speed my departure...

[gonzo]

Are gums and eucaliptus the same thing?

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by gonzo

Are gums and eucaliptus the same thing?

Errr no, Gonzo...gums are the things I now use to chew my porage with....

But to be serious - yes. The same, and a whole variety of the same: Stringy bark, black bark, iron bark, ghost gums, and scribbly bark, ad infinitum. Prolific variety and all with their own 'specific' use.
By the by, sorry to have taken so long in answering. My personal modem was attacked by lightning last week. Now using a borrowed PC.
But take care over the festive weekend. Talk to you again in the New Year.

[MikeJohns]

Originally Posted by Bergalia

Still one or two 'wooden boat' builders along my part of the coast (300 km south of Sydney) but unfortunately 'glass' is mainly favoured. Tasmania still has a few craftsmen left, and I should think they use locally grown materials, but I expect there will be more authorative answers coming from my fellow Aussies.
What I can say, Guillermo is that Australia has a splendid variety of timber, from native cedars through a whole variety of 'gums'. Many with grains perfect for boat building.
As to the progress - well as I say, it'll be slow - but I'll keep you 'posted'.

Bergalia

Are you at lakes Entrance?

Re-wood and Tasmania

There is a world class wooden boatbuilding school here. Alas I have nothing to do with wooden vessels so I am no expert. Kauri was a great favourite for planking, Spotted gum for frames.
We have a very light soft-hardwood wood called King-Billy. Then there is Tas Oak which is a beautiful timber.

[Guillermo]

The name Tasmanian Oak was originally used by early European timber workers who believed the eucalypts showed the same strength as English Oak.

Presently Eucalyptus globulus var. globulus (Blue Gum) has been classified by european norms at the same level as english oak. Wonderful wood if properly treated.

The processing of eucalyptus wood consumes from 60 to 250 less energy than producing steel or aluminium and is a renewable source.

We should favour the use of wood as a boatbuilding material.