We yesterday relaunched Zygote after her 20th year peel of the hull to the barrier coat, followed by application of a new epoxy barrier coat.
The Travelift team at our marina’s boatyard has all new personnel. Took quite some time to block Z. And then again when I requested reblocking so we could scrape the old barrier coat sitting on the keel blocks.
Attached, with luck, you’ll find a pdf (BCCIB 4-1 Lifting and Blocking.pdf, about 620 KB ) .
My aim is to have something that I can put in the hands (or on the screen) of a Travelift crew or the blocking team so the jobs get done fast and correctly.
I’ve written this as Chapter 4 part 1 of my long term project to re-write my operating manual for Z as a BCC Boat Information Book.
I welcome any and all comments, additions, and corrections. You can use the Private Messages function here, my e-mail, or add to this thread.
Third draft of BCCIB 4-1 Lifting and Blocking.pdf, about 410 KB.
This third draft responds to comments and corrections covering issues ranging from commas to critiques of the blocking in the photos.
Thanks to the commentators.
I do not have many photos of Z in Travelift slings or when blocked. I have always paid attention to the placement of the slings. I’ve paid much less attention to the blocking. My focus on the issue is due entirely to Zygote meeting the new team at my local boatyard for that team’s first time.
Fourth draft of BCCIB 4-1 Lifting and Blocking.pdf, now about 411 KB.
Thanks for comments, criticisms, and suggestions.
I’ve increased the emphasis on blocking the boat with waterline level. And I’ve increased the emphasis on chaining together port/starboard pairs of lateral supports.
I’ve corrected my comments in the captions of the photographs.
I’ve no problems with the cradle of the Sam L Morse Co. boatyard. None of the other photographs of yard blocking are perfect - I’ve yet to photograph what I think is a perfect blocking.
My next step is to attach sling and LCG decals to Zygote, just above the waterline, and to photograph the result (which will be in Z’s wet berth, not on the hard).
Thanks to other owners for comments and corrections.
I’ve attached my fifth draft of BCCIB 4-1 Lifting and Blocking.
I’ve not yet added the decals to Z to mark sling locations and LCG.
To make the document of greater value to owners with boats with configurations different from that of Z, I’ve added a section on bulkheads (the measurements are for the standard Sam L Morse Co boat) and dimensions, and a graphic showing a profile and ship’s lines. I know several of you have different bulkhead configurations and different lifeline stanchion installations.
I’ve deleted photos that added little and added other photos and enhanced captions. That includes dimensions of the Sam L Morse Co boatyard cradle and a concise sentence relevant to those owners who use a Marine railway (Patent slip).
Thanks to one reader for his eagle eyes, attention to detail, and fast response. My guru (who will soon release his second book).
I’ve corrected a couple of infelicities and minor inaccuracies. Seems every addition brings new risks of error. Ouch!
I’ve added emphasis to the statement that a forward keel block or keel stand not be jacked up or made unnaturally high. The danger is not point loading, but stress on the hull that would sag the keel.
Absolutely splendid Bil, as usual u have done a marvellous job. It is great to have you onboard the forum. I am chewing at the bit anxious to get down to the boat but with corona I am not sure when that will happen.
I shall ad your latest info to the binder I keep for all things bcc, it’s bulging a bit but I am most appreciative, thank you.
In truth, the fifth draft owes much to criticism, comments, corrections, and suggestions from other BCC owners.
Criticism, corrections, and suggestions are the jewels that line the path to most any achievement.
I’ve not yet applied decals to the topsides and taken a photograph.
We’ve been busy working on the primary sheet winches.
They’re not yet re-installed after I grasped the nettle I’ve avoided for 20 years and decided I should remove the winches and their bronze mount so I could do a half-way respectable job of sanding and then re-coating the two wooden pads (one on deck that is the step for the bronze mount, and the other the circular pad between mount and winch) and finally re-bedding. Each time we’ve been about to remount the winches, some new demand on our attention has disrupted our schedule.
All of that has kept us away from the threat of coronavirus. We’re lucky, in our state of Australia, that the state government has ring-fenced us from the rest of the country. And the Aus govt had moved earlier, although perhaps not as early as it could have, to ring-fence the rest of the world from us. Sort of re-visiting the experiences of my parents who as young children saw the same techniques used against the 1918-19 influenza pandemic.