nemaritimetrust.co.uk

Phil looking on with pride as the boat building crew fit the last starboard plank on the “Cygnet”. It’s great to see how much the guys skills and knowledge have really developed. A fine example of NEMT’s aim, “to educate”.

Boarding Boat ‘Cygnet’

Progress is slow but then this is a vessel being built from scratch, in just a few hours a week by the backshift team.

Here you can see two views of the initial planking built up from the frame and keel.

It takes time and patience to achieve the correct shape and rebates to fit the planking in a smooth form around the frame.

So this is what Cygnet will look like! We’ve been planning the planking by tacking battens on to mould sections. How did we do it? Find out more on our blog at http://nemaritimetrust.co.uk/…/02/starting-the-planking/

Not the real thing but an exact scale model of our new build “Cygnet”, made by one of our volunteers.

Not only is the ” Cygnet” a new build, it is our very first build and the first time a lot of our members have ever built a boat, particularly a motorised one.This has meant a lot of assembly, dismantling and reassembly until we are happy everything is just right. Latest photos show the Keel final assembly including bronze keel bolts into brass barrel nuts.

Getting the transom fitted into Cygnet, a trickier job than we thought!

“Cygnet” the trust’s very first build, takes shape.

Getting the design right before starting a new boat build proving to be crucial for Martin, Helen (and the rest of us) as they work out the scantlings*

* set of standard dimensions for parts of a structure, especially in shipbuilding.