We continue to make progress.
Spare topsail club being constructed which we’ll place on deck
Deck structures delivered by Joe Uzzo.
Companionway and its ladder, monitor, and hatches. Monitor has hinges inside the windows!
Balance of lower main shroud chainplates, spreader chainplates for upper main shrouds, and chainplate for truss stay.
We continue to work on the deck preparing it for paint and canvas, but in the meantime we are receiving more and more of our bits and pieces. These are really small jewel-like masterpieces from Mike Mirman which we’ll finish up with buffing and polishing.
The first picture is the mainsail clue outhaul slide. In real life it fits onto a 6 foot long heavy duty sail track at the tip of the boom. Inserted in the top is a fitting sewn into the clue of the sail and then pinned to the slide. You can see its size compared to a penny in our scale. The second picture shows the mainsail outhaul sheave holder which is to be attached at the very tip of the boom.
The third picture is of our the belaying pins – about two inches long. The longer ones will be threaded and be used for the forward and aft legs of the pinrail which fellow RELIANCE teammate Steve Siok is making.
MIke has also made a port and starboard mainsheet sheave holder, the fourth picture. It also is about 2 inches long. It sits amidships. The mainsheet comes from aft to here, through the bellow and around an internal sheave to drums and winches below deck. He’s taken them back to his shop to attach brake levers and add the internal sheaves. We also received two mainsheet span shackle assemblies from Mike. The whole assembly is about the size of a silver dollar! Upon close inspection you a see that the shackles are actually twisted.
Meanwhile Joe Uzzo continues to work on his hatches and companionway. Here you see the barometer, race card and clock sitting on a ledge in the companionway. If you really look, you’ll see actual barometer and clock faces complete in all detail. The second picture shows the companionway and its ladder.
We also have a new RELIANCE team member Burr Sebring who brings a wealth of metalworking skill, having retired from Gorham – the silverware company . In this last photo you can see his work-in-progress on the metal strut that forms the back edge of the douglas fir mainmast spreader. The little insert that will carry two shrouds to the top of the mast has been completed. Same piece count in 1/6th scale as the original!
We’re in the planning stage, a gestation stage, as we plan to lay canvas on deck rather than the previously decided cork deck. Further research has concluded that cork deck first laid on CONSTITUTION was removed and replaced by canvas, and though reportedly used on RELIANCE was in fact not used. Canvas was laid instead. But work does go on as shown in the pictures:
1. Our astronaut “Herb from Falmouth” suits up to scuff up our deck, preparatory to painting and laying canvas. (The steel waterway was painted, and the aluminum deck was canvas covered)
2. Tim Horton carves out the scuppers – two on each side
3. The monitor was been delivered and fitted in-place (a little dusty from scuppering operation)
4. Joe Uzzo continues with the deck furniture, making companionway ladder and racing gauges
We continue with progress! Joe Uzzo is applying canvas tops to the hatches and Bill Lawton is routing out the hole in the deck to match hatch openings. Tim Horton sprayed etching primer on our aluminum chainplates and mast partner plate. Some he then painted steel color. Others will be painted with the hull. He also has been removing our fittings off the deck and will begin sanding the deck preparatory to laying cork deck and painting the margin plates. We just found a sample of cork lying on a Museum shelf from KATOURA and feel we have the right cork solution!
Tim, Steve Siok and Herb Luther continue to work on RELIANCE displays and the group just submitted a paper for the Classic Yacht Symposium. This piece discusses what we’ve uncovered while building RELIANCE about N.G.H. as a manufacturing engineer as well as a materials, weight and structural engineer. Probably more importantly we discuss what we’ve found about Herreshoff Manufacturing Co as an advanced high tech business with relevance to today’s business.
Joe Uzzo applying canvas tops to hatches
Hatch with canvas
Bill Lawton routing out hole in the deck
Tim Horton Preparing the deck
sample cork from KATOURA
It is good to be back to work! Here’s a picture of the Saturday crew. Left to right:
Mike Mirman, Steve Siosk, Tim Horton, Sandy Lee, Keith Bradley, Joe Uzzo, Herb Luther and Bill Lawton.
We had a great work session – after catching up on all the holiday happenings and telling sea stories.
If you look on the fore-deck, you’ll see the incredible dolphin striker assembly, bowsprit spreader sockets and hawse pipe lips that Mike Mirman just delivered. We’ll be getting these in place over the next month.
You may also have noted that six mahogany stained hatches and the companionway are on deck. RELIANCE’s furniture was butternut and from the pictures stained a mahogany color and then varnished. Joe Uzzo delivered the stained structures, and we worked with him to perfect our technique to attach the canvas tops. The companionway has a sliding top and glass portholes. Joe is working to add the barometer, clock and race card which rest on a ledge in the companionway. Still to go are the monitor and large two piece hatch cover.
Above: Joe and his work.
Below: Steve admiring Joe’s work.
Keith has been working inside RELIANCE to adjust the mast step to her rake. He’s also been making a metal display stand for our 2′ long 14″ diameter solid bowsprit replica while Herb Luther finishes shaping it and preparing it for varnish.
Above: Capt. Trivia emerging from below
We’re also preparing plans for laying cork on the deck, attaching the fittings and painting. We’ll talk about that soon.
Team members Keith Bradley and Joe Uzzo have been busy. Here we show 6 pictures of their progress below.
Photo #1 shows one of the seven deck structures coming together – Joe’s handiwork Photos
#2-6 show Keith’s handiwork Photo
#2 & 3 show the mast step which will be bolted into an internal fiberglass mast step. It is adjustable so we can get the mast aligned fore and aft and side to side to the waterline. RELIANCE had about 2 degree mast rake aft Photos
#4 & 5 show the main chain plates and backstay chain plates. The hull has been cut to receive these plates and they will be screwed and glued in place and then we’ll back-fill with fiberglass material. They cant inward and are differing angles fore and aft.
Photo #6 shows the bobstay chain plate already installed.
Thank you Keith and Joe for all of your hard work!
The RELIANCE Project 
