Work Continues on DHM’s NN59 Sailboat
It’s been a while since I last provided a report to you all on the NN59 Sailboat’s restoration. Shipwright Alaniz is still working on the sailboat’s re-decking project. The re-decking of the sailboat has been much more complicated than what first meets the eye. Much like about everything else that we have been doing restoring this sailboat, there is much more to be done that first thought.
However, we are dedicated to repairing/restoring this former APA salmon boat with the care and quality this authentic maritime icon deserves. Once the restorative/repair work has been completed the NN 59 will be the water-borne working sister to the NN 79 sailboat on permeant display at the APA Cannery Museum at Semiahmoo.
The NN59 will be like the Historic Plover, in that it will be a USCG inspected vessel certified to carry passengers for hire taking Resort guests, maritime heritage tourists and locals aboard this authentic icon out sailing on the local waters of the Salish Sea telling the story of our commercial salmon fishing history and more… also when not taking folks out sailing the NN59 will be a platform for teaching youth traditional sailing aboard this 110 year old former salmon boat.
Work Continues on DHM’s NN59 Sailboat
We have pretty much finished the underlying restorative work that was needed to be done on the port-side of the sailboat which will allow Shipwright Alaniz fasten down the new cedar decking when its time to do so.
After repairing the upper port-side of the sailboat we moved over to the sailboat’s starboard side where made and installed the sailboat’s new starboard shelf. Here we still need to perhaps sister several frames and replace a bit of rot damage wood around this area.However, even before we can do that we needed to back-up a bit and first replace the sailboat’s age damaged forward and aft Thwarts while they are exposed and available to remove and replace before we install the new decking.
Since the original forward Thwart was a full true size 2”x12’” which is bigger than what is sold today as a 2”x12” we needed to find two workable regular fir 2”x12s” and glue them together like we had done with the starboard Shelf. After the glue was set we had taken the future thwart over to Alaniz’s wood shop in Birch Bay where Steve and I ran these two glued together pieces of lumber through his planner. We did this a number of times making a lot of chips to match the thickness of the original.
I will be emailing another report when we have more to share. Again thank you all for your support of this worth while restoration of the NN 59 sailboat.
Fair winds,
Captain Richard Strugill
Director – Drayton Harbor Maritime