Cogge Ketch Restoration

[Tad]

Designed in 1928 by Douglass and Wavell Urry of Vancouver, our cogge ketch Blackfish was built at the Northwest School in 1981 under the direction of Bob Prothero, founder of that school. She fell on hard times early and was/is in rough shape (almost solely from fresh water penetration of her decks and topsides) when she came to us.......We hauled out in Silva Bay for the past 4 days and replaced 5 planks plus some short sections of 1.75" fir, all underwater, as well as chipping, priming, and painting the steel box keel, and reefing, caulking, and puttying various seams, and priming and painting the entire hull. We had a big crew of volunteers, mostly alumni and students from the Shipyard School to accomplish all this, at one point I counted 11 people working.......

here she is just hauled......

[Tad]

There was a nasty worm hole in the starboard quarter, here's a new plank being fitted there.......it takes considerable persuasion to bend this stuff even a little.......

[Tad]

Here are the holes in the Port Side, places along the waterline where the paint rubbed off and worms got in........This before we pulled the old 4" galvanized spikes......you can see some short pieces already in place down low where butts had gone bad.......

[Tad]

New paint going on.......

[Tad]

Fairing the new planks in place with the power-planer......all this is good physical labour.......

[viking north]

What classic lines, when i visualize a dream hull this is it. Theres nothing like a wine glass stern and ample sheer, and a little tumblehome, Like looking at the girls in Reo. If I were closer i'd volenteer just to get my hands on her buttocs (I've become just a dirty old man)
Nice vessel--Geo.

[Tad]

Geo,

We are lucky that the Shipyard School is at the head of the ways carriage in these pictures....plenty of folks did volunteer to get dirty and covered in tar......crazy I guess

[cthippo]

Wish I could have been there, Tad. Maybe next year!

[peter radclyffe]

it looks good Tad

[BATAAN]

I remember this boat being in the PT Shipyard some years ago and had fresh water problems even then. Please keep us updated on what she's like to sail.