CLASSIC LAUNCH – LADY CAROLE RESTORATION – UPDATE #5 Another update on the work in progress from co-owner Patrick Crawshaw.

UPDATE BELOW: 

It’s been about three weeks’ since the last update and in that time we have finally got to the stage where she is ready for painting. We are working from top down and have got to the final undercoat (orange) down to the gunnels.  We have gone for a low-sheen, two-pot system for the whole boat with two primers, two undercoats and two top coats.   

There has been the usual wild-Winter-Northland weather, which has hammered the cover, but it’s still holding up – not long to go now so. It just has to last until the windows go in and we get the finish coats on up top, which will be the week after next.

She had holes all over the place and many were in the side of the hull – including bilge ones. So, they have all been re-directed and moved to the under the duckboard where you can’t see them. The hull now is without any unsightly grills/holes/lettering, etc, etc. Nothing now to draw the eye away from the lines. 

The line that connects the forward cabin to the aft deck is now re-instated. That was fun…Hundreds of cuts later, we got the curve, although it wanted to keep snapping. We took it all the way to the front of the forward cabin as it was. This has given the forward part above the windows a really nice profile.  Finally, the lines of the LADY CAROLE have been restored working nicely with those reduced windows. 

The cockpit drainage was a plastic box with a float switch. This never really worked properly and was prone to blockages, so the drainage for the cockpit has been returned to self draining with larger holes so they don’t get blocked. 

The back doors had brown smoky glass in both sections, so they were taken to a local joiner to have slats put in the upper section so we can improve cabin ventilation. Here they are almost ready for the top coats. 

We decided that the trims should be put back on the windows to give it some profile and finish the look. Originally L.C. had trims, but these had long gone.  

The hatches are finally finished and pretty much ready for their top coats.