After six days of steady work on Bowdoin, the shipwrights at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard have removed all of the 18 planks identified for replacement in the survey completed at the end of the deck replacement project two years ago. For the most part, we have found the condition of the frames and planking surrounding the removed planks to be in good condition. The fasteners (both trunnels and iron ship nails) are in excellent condition. In general, we have found the vessel in much better condition than expected. This good news is a testament to the fine workmanship of the shipwrights that rebuilt the vessel in the 1980’s and the excellent care the vessel has received under the care of Maine Maritime Academy, Bowdoin‘s previous captains, professional crew, waterfront staff, and countless MMA students and volunteers via the schooner crew.

The removal of these planks revealed a total of 10 (out of 78) frames that require further assessment before we can identify the extent to which they will need to be repaired or replaced. The majority of the frames in question are located in the aft cabin region of the vessel (three on the port, three on starboard); the other two are located near the forward head on the port side with the other two located on the starboard side near the region of the refrigerator and freezer areas (where the vessel has seen issues with rot in previous projects). We are currently working to gain access to inspect these frames further and document the condition of the parts of the vessel that we have found to be in good condition. The planks that are being removed have been in place since the early 1980’s with some of them from many years before that. Greater access to these hidden parts of the vessel will allow us to clean out dirt and grime, maintain/improve the concrete ballast, and refresh treatments that will mitigate deterioration for many years to come.

Good luck to all the students taking final exams this week!

All the best,

Captain McLean

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