Not a build, a partial rebuild...

[44c]

In response to some questions asked by PM, I decided to start a thread.....

Our friends' boat was blown off it's mooring by TC Oswald, and driven into a mangrove forest by 70kt winds and 20 foot seas.

The insurance co declared it a write off. Like me, he built this boat himself, around the same time I did. I couldn't stand to just let the boat be scrapped, and since the owner's health isn't as good as it was when he built the boat, I offered to help with the rebuild.

So, with the insurance payout, he's bought the boat back, and hired me and another friend to rebuild the boat.

Some pics of the damage:







To get an idea of how big these mangroves are, the hatch in the third pic is 500mm x 500mm.

Amazingly, the rig tension was still pretty much normal! Amazing stuff Duflex.

The boat was towed to a local marina hardstand, and with a few hundred hours work we've got it structurally complete again. It was relaunched, and motored downriver, and trailered out to a shed where we can complete the work. Getting the boat in a shed will help a lot, the weather has slowed progress a fair bit.




There's still probably about 3 4 months work to be done, interior rebuilding and refinishing, also an engine install similar to my own, and a complete respray of the boat, but the owners are going "land cruising" for a while, and don't need the boat until around this time next year.

So we still get to do our winter cruise north, then we'll come back and finish the boat next year

[seamad1250]

That's some pretty impressive damage and repair work there, showcases some of the advantages of duflex construction for sure. Would be devastating as an owner builder to see your own boat in that state.
Is there a separate cabin sole in Oram boats(ie not the hull keel), doesn't appear so from the pics ?
Hard to tell from the pictures as well but it appears as if a large section of the keel is gone. Do you think that a Schionning with its' structural grid type keel/floor may have faired a little better ?
Where are you heading this winter ? Can't wait to get mine finished.

[groper]

great job mate, i agree that there couldnt anything much worse than loosing something you worked at for so long...

How the hell did you/they get it out of the mangroves and back to the repair yard? just skull drag it out of the mud???

[44c]

That's some pretty impressive damage and repair work there, showcases some of the advantages of duflex construction for sure. Would be devastating as an owner builder to see your own boat in that state.
Is there a separate cabin sole in Oram boats(ie not the hull keel), doesn't appear so from the pics ?
Hard to tell from the pictures as well but it appears as if a large section of the keel is gone. Do you think that a Schionning with its' structural grid type keel/floor may have faired a little better ?
Where are you heading this winter ? Can't wait to get mine finished.

Don't know how you can work out anything about the hull sole from the pics, given that the bottom of the boat, right up to the chamfer panel, is completely ripped out?

Actually, School's Out DID have a sole in the hulls. Did it make any difference? Who knows? Would a Schionning do any better? I doubt it. I'm pretty sure they use lighter laminates for one thing.... 70 knot winds, 20 foot waves, 18 inch thick trees.... how many boats do you think would sail away from that?

Given how much of the hull was ripped out, I was amazed the rig was even standing, let alone still retaining reasonable tension. One tree had cut through the deck and up into the cabin side and roof. The sheer panel in front of and behind the chainplate bulkhead was torn out.

[44c]

great job mate, i agree that there couldnt anything much worse than loosing something you worked at for so long...

How the hell did you/they get it out of the mangroves and back to the repair yard? just skull drag it out of the mud???

At that stage the boat belonged to the insurance company. They hired a salvage team who basically dragged it out of the mangroves at high tide. They had a small floatation bag under the bridgedeck on the port side. Unfortunately, the salvagers did a bit of damage too.

As a measur eof how strong Duflex is, one of the screecher padeyes was bent near flat by the loads on the stays, but the duflex around it was OK.

[44c]

Some more progress photo's:

First thing done was to partition the damaged area off from the rest of the boat, to try to contain the dust a bit.



With the hull and deck reinstated, the boat was temporarily launched, moved down river, then trailered into a shed.





Side decks, daggerboard case, and cabin side repairs:





You can see the new hull, repairs to bulkheads, chamfer panel, new daggerboard case, one new step in the stairs,(more to come) and floor installed:

[44c]

Some more pics.

A view of the desk and roof repairs, also the daggerboard case fitted.



Some internal shelving and cabin soles fitted.





An outboard motor mount started.



They'll be pretty well tucked in.

[cruiserbill]

Wow, good work!

[dennisail]

Great work guys, and an awesome boat. Too good to let die.

[44c]

Thanks. Should be back there in November to finish the repairs and get her back in the water.