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Every project goes through the dismantling phase until it hits rock bottom. Then rebuild begins. We are still on the slippery downward slope but expectantly looking forward to the day we look upwards.
We are gradually formulating an overall Scope of Work. Full details won’t emerge until vessel is hauled out on 21st March 2022. No suitable tides until that date.
When sourcing products and equipment from Singapore we draw your attention to the fact we have a Bonded Warehouse and everything we source is duty free. The supplier should be made aware of this. We have lines on all products and equipment. Ked, who owns and operates Popeye Marine Services, just completed her 147th yacht refit. She knows where, who, how, to source duty free products and materials as well as the right person to install them. Hope this helps.
We must all remember we are restoring a piece of British Maritime history and there is worldwide interest. Popeye Marine Services with their first Cariad Facebook post jumped from average 30 hits a day to 5,850 hits in one day. One of them was Kym Clayton the granddaughter of Alan Fitton who sailed Cariad around the world 1953/1954. We view our job as creating something tangible for generations to come. When Cariad arrives in Europe our work will be judged.
Overview of recent work achieved and/or in progress.
| Master cabin stripped out ready for fumigation and rebuild. Plywood behind teak work and all deckhead completely eaten out by termites. |
| 4 x fuel tanks, 2 x water tanks plus black and gray water tanks removed from vessel for rebuild. B/W and G/W systems are being redesigned because the old system did not work. Many contractors have added bits which were not connected to anything. |
| Piping found in poor condition and removed as well. Complete rework required for long-term trouble-free operation. |
| Further we must consider CE inspections when Cariad arrives in Europe. There is a good chance many items will be ‘grandfathered in’ due to age of the vessel but items such as B/W and G/W tanks operation will come under scrutiny. |
| Amidships bilges completely stripped. This means we are starting with a clean slate ready for corroded steel replacement. |
| High probability we may have to remove hull planking in way of corroded frames but final decision won’t be made until Cariad is hauled out onto hardstand 21st March. No suitable tides until that date. |
| Clear grain, old growth Douglas Fir mast building timber sourced from a mill in B.C Canada. Timber is in container ready to be shipped. Original ship stopped service to Thailand. New ship Seaspan Ganges departs Vancouver 8th March. ETA Laem Cabang 4th April. Thence duty free to our bonded warehouse in PSS shipyard. |
| Engine room was completely flooded. Engine room needs complete overhaul of all systems and equipment. In progress. |
| Gardner main engine and 12 KVA Northern Lights generator now have stands on wheels and have been moved to our engineering shop for remedial works. Tim looking into the option of a second standby generator. |
| Construction starts on the roof structure for our mast building shed on Monday 28th Jan. |
| Battling emergency leaks in stern area. Temporary repairs. Added more
Pumps. Night team monitoring for safety. |
Technical notes on tankage.
Fuel tanks are steel and should have been kept full of fuel to avoid sweating and resultant corrosion. Tanks were kept empty and heavy internal corrosion developed. Water tank is aluminium and found heavily corroded internally and externally. All tanks have been removed. See photos in this report.
There are six tanks. Two forward tanks are water. Four fuel tanks follow – two port and two starboard. There is a dividing space down the centre with retro-fitted black water and grey water tanks and associated piping.
Previously each fuel tank was separate with a feed line to the fuel manifold. We will join all fuel tanks with isolating shut off valves. That way a single fuel filler pipe can refuel Cariad in one shot. Fuel can be transferred fort one tank to another. Tank and piping identification tags will be added.
Termite Damage.
Master cabin and entire stern area devastated by termites. We have also found evidence of termites in the amidships section as well as behind the electrical distribution panels. As previously mentioned first order of the day after 21st March haulout will be to tent entire boat and fumigate.
