Ongoing Progress

Today I put the life jacket back together after cleaning with the procedure we learned on net (gel shampoo and a VERY stiff brush - and LOTS of elbow grease). I think it looks like a new jacket. FYI - it took about 3 hours to scrub the life jacket (it had oil on it from an incident on Lake Cushman - we lost our oil filter at 7,000 rpm and it got all over Scottie, his life jacket and the boat - 7 qts of GREEN KENDELL Racing oil). Scottie donated the life jacket to our restoration project. That was special because they were the same ones we used when we ran the boat originally. 

 

I sanded Scotties old helmet to remove the chipped, scratched orange paint and to get ready to apply some epoxy to fill in the deeper dings, then put a fresh coat of orange paint on.

 

Also today, two new sponson battens were officially glued together to the left (Port) sponson. Tomorrow I will remove the C clamps, screw the batten to the frame, then glue the last batten for that sponson. Move everything over and start on the right (starboard) sponson. I figure it will take about four days to glue and screw the battens. Ha Ha, if I had 150 C clamps I could do it all in one day, but... I don't

 

After that, I will finish removing 4' of the bottom, repair the transom and install a new piece to the bottom.

Today both Sponsons battens were fit, but they aren't glued yet. Because I only have 50 clamps, I can only glue one of two battens at a time - it will use up more glue this way, but it would be WAY to expensive to try and buy enough clamps for this one time mass glue session.

 

The wood pieces bends very gently, I only cracked one spruce piece while I was bending the 21, 8' pieces. Hopefully they won't crack when they are being glued together - soon. After the glue sets, the tips are cut even with the curve of the sponson tip. I'm nervous about making that cut, because after all the work to cut, bent, glued and then make a mistake cutting the end piece.

 

The battens are glued and screwed to the cross frames. I feel very comfortable that she will be as strong if not stronger then original. I have added one extra batten to each sponson from the original configuration and of course we have removed all the old sister, repaired battens with continues lengths battens. The stress points should just about be totally eliminated now. I can tell you that after first heat she will get a very though inspection.

 

Each batten is a sandwich of two pieces of 1/4" Alaska Sitka Spruce and one piece of 1/4" marine plywood. When the glue dries, the battens will each be 1" wide X 3/4" thick. They are glued together with West System Epoxy. Then sanded and sanded and when you think your done sand them smooth for the 9 mm Okoume.

Yesterday my friend Del Corey and I cut LOT's and LOT's of plywood and spruce wood that will make up the sponson battens.

 

On the boat you can see some 8' long X 1" wide X 1/4" thick plywood strips and some 16' long X 1" wide X 1/4" thick Alaska Sitka Spruce strips. When you layer or sandwich the plywood and spruce together with glue, it allows SUPER strength and makes it easy to bend, curve and attach to the boat frame.

 

Today I finished cutting up the strips - and cleaned the garage again - a whole barrel full of sawdust... WOW!!

 

But before I quit for the day, I clamped some plywood strips to the left sponson to see how they looked and fit. OH BOY, OH BOY, it is finally starting to go back together.

 

The wood stacked on the side of the motorhome is all the Okoume wood necessary to re-skin the sponsons and lay down the deck. Plus build a new transom and repair the bottom where the prop strut will come through.

 

Now if I only had 200 or 300 C clamps I would be ready to glue the battens together - in stead I will have to build them one at a time. I only have about 50 C clamps..

 

Thank you again Del, your help was MUCH appreciated and you have joined the N-22 Honor Roll of faithful supporters.

 

Today a very close friend (Del Corey who was our best may at our wedding) and I cut up the wood that will become sponson battens soon.

 

We started with a clean shop and did our best to make a BIG mess out of it. I think we used every single tool in the shop to cut up 1/4" X 1" thick strips of marine plywood and/or Sitka Spruce that will end up making the battens (support material for the okoume wood of the boat). The fat guy in the blue sweats is me and Del is the other good looking guy in the pictures - thx Kathy for the pictures.

 

It was so, so, so nice to have help cutting up the 16' Alaska Sitka Spruce. Cutting that sized wood is more then one mere mortal person is capable of doing alone.

 

I can't tell you how MUCH I appreciated Del's help. Del and I have worked on MANY, MANY projects in the past and it was as if little or no time had passed between projects. Thank you Del. It will be VERY nice to have your help with this restoration project.

 

The number of people who have extended a helping hand to help with this restoration is over whelming to me. I want to tell you - each and every one of you, how much I appreciate your assistance. I hope you know my THANK YOU's are from the heart.

I either got stupid today or smart... most likely neither.

 

I have been nervous about the sheet of Lexan sitting in the basement, so today I decided to cut out the windshield to get that task behind me.

 

The enclosed picture is of the new cut out windshield, with it's protective cover and a piece of scrap with the protective cover removed that shows the color. It is a smoke gray.

 

Now before you tell me about the dripping glue - I know, I haven't started sanding inside at all yet. When I roll the boat back over, I will be spending a couple of weeks sanding and sanding before varnishing the whole inside - even the parts you will never see after the deck is on.

 

The picture of the one sheet of wood is the new 9 mm 4' X 10' of okoume. It will be used for the sponson runners. Windsor plywood had it specially shipped in for me - didn't charge me for shipping and knocked off $53 because there was a couple of scratches on it (I can work around that). Normally it is $155 a sheet, so they sold it for me for $103 and they let me exchange the 8' piece with no restocking charge. Customer In.... The rest of the new wood is laying next to the motorhome. One of the pictures is of the NEW sponson transom. I am putting this sponson back to it's original shape (using the original drawings). I will be covering this area with all new okoume to make it look finished, just like new (oh it will be... LOL).

 

The other pictures are of the just completed re-enforcement of the inside of the right sponson. I replaced added new framing plywood and new Alaska Sitka Spruce braces to the existing frames. This sponson takes the majority of the water pressure in the corners and I'm hoping that my efforts will increase the strength, without adding very much additional weight.

 

After I took off most of the wood from the right sponson there was a lot of flex in the frames - there is NONE now. Plus I'm going to add one additional batten to the bottom for more strength. The left sponson was just fine.

 

The enclosed pictures are of the NEW (to me) fire proof drivers suit I won on E-bay. It was used once in a 400 mile race in California. The color, size and material match up with my requirements and it was MUCH less expensive then buying brand new.

 

I also won a patch on E-bay that says "Chevrolet Racing team member" and one that says "American Power Boat Association - Driver". The drivers patch was on a driver's suit of a friend we raced with yrs ago (it was Ed Sims suit).

 

The other patches were on a jacket I had from yrs ago. The patches are "Champion", "Valvoline", "Mercury", "Lifeline", "Security", "American Flag", A vintage "Seattle Inboard Racing Association" Patch and a very special one - A "Rose", in memory of my mother and our first hydroplane. Oh and a "Bob" name patch. If Scooter finds a patch with his name, I will sew it on also.

 

The only patch I have left to find is a "Kelson Hydros" patch. I had one yrs ago, but I think I gave it back to Don a few yrs ago. I have searched everywhere on the net for a Kelson Hydros Patch, but they are VERY rare.

 

Kathy has pleasantly informed me that she will sew them on if I pin them. They are now pinned...

 

http://bolamfamily.0catch.com/BEP_Express_Progress.html

 

Hello everyone. I have an opportunity of a lifetime for you ----- LOL! Well not really, but it did sound good doesn’t it. The new web site is – Express Progress.

 

Kathy put together another one of her wonderful links and I thought I would give you the option of staying on the regular boat distribution list OR you can go out to the attached URL (if you bookmark it) at your leisure, whenever you wish to. If you wish to be deleted from the regular boat distribution list just let me know OR if you’re not on the boat distribution and wish to be, you can let me know that also. I will not add or delete you from the boat distribution list unless you tell me to.

 

She will update the Bolam’s Express Progress site as she has time and my updates will still be sent regularly.

 

The November updates haven’t been posted yet, so that are is still empty. And Kathy is working on some of the early updates, so those are still in progress. But the dates in between are finished. They are arranged as current dates first. The beginning notes and pictures starts at lower right link buttons after that you can work your way to the current update.

 

In some cases you may not have seen certain updates and in some cases people have had trouble seeing some of the pictures. This allows you to do what you want when you want.

 

Thank you Kathy for your support and enthusiasm are cherished.

 

Enjoy