Tag: Restoration

  • Planks with a Twist

    Planks with a Twist

    The first part of the first plank fitted.

    You can see the amount of twist in the plank. This meant it had to be steamed. Steaming makes the wood go ‘rubbery’ temporarily. It is then clamped into position and as it cools it hardens up again in the new shape.

    Watch this space for more planks being fitted

  • The Perfect Christmas Present

    The Perfect Christmas Present

    Help support the Gamecock restoration with this perfect Christmas present!

    A dark rum produced by Canterbury Brewers & Distillers both celebrates and supports the restoration of the Whitstable Gamecock. This rum is initially aged in a first-fill Bourbon cask, then further aged in Virgin American Oak, and finally finished in a Virgin English Oak cask. 

    Supplied in a presentation box with a Gamecock Illustrated Glass, a portion of the proceeds goes directly to support the restoration work.

    Order your bottle from the Canterbury Brewers & Distillers website.

  • Getting ready for the Whitstable Harbour & Boat Show 2025

    Getting ready for the Whitstable Harbour & Boat Show 2025

    What can you expect?

    Planning is at an early stage but many organisations in Whitstable and the South-East are already developing ideas as to how they can best celebrate the town’s connections with the sea: past, present and future. The day will be packed with a full programme of activities for all ages, both on and off the water. Events will be held on both beaches and in the Harbour from 10.30am to 4.30pm, concluding with an evening concert on the South Quay.

    How can you help create a successful Show?

    Volunteer as a Steward and help welcome over 10,000 visitors. Alert the planning team to any group in the community who may have difficulty in accessing the Show for physical, mental or social reasons. Share news of the Show with colleagues and friends. Watch the local Press and Whitstable Maritime website for updates.

  • Gamecock Structure

    Gamecock Structure

    After a lot of hard work and effort – led by the Shipwright and supported by volunteers, Gamecock’s skeleton is now strong enough to support planking!

  • Gamecock Progress, 11 October 2024

    Gamecock Progress, 11 October 2024

    The fitted knee can be seen and here is Morgan putting the finishing touches to the apron.

    The apron has since been hoisted into position, butted up and fitted to the knee.

    The cover and supporting structure had to be temporarily removed so the shipwright could “eye ” the apron in.

    The cover is now back on. The much awaited planking will start soon.

  • Gamecock Rum

    Gamecock Rum

    Help support the Gamecock restoration whilst enjoying the great taste of rum!

    A dark rum produced by Canterbury Brewers & Distillers both celebrates and supports the restoration of the Whitstable Gamecock. This rum is initially aged in a first-fill Bourbon cask, then further aged in Virgin American Oak, and finally finished in a Virgin English Oak cask. 

    Supplied in a presentation box with a Gamecock Illustrated Glass, a portion of the proceeds goes directly to support the restoration work.

    Order your bottle from the Canterbury Brewers & Distillers website.

  • Metal Fixings or Trunnels

    Metal Fixings or Trunnels

    You are probably aware that we are using trunnels (wooden pegs and modern glues) on Gamecock rather than metal fixings, but do you know why? There are two good reasons, both relating to the environment.

    Firstly, when cutting curved pieces of timber out of planks there is inevitably a high amount of waste: and Gamecock has a lot of curves! This is particularly distressing when the timber is rare and expensive hardwood. So there is an immediate benefit if we can cut the pegs out of the waste hardwood. The fixture is at least as strong as metal nuts and bolts. In a test on the East Quay the Volunteers had great fun using trunnels when moving their workshop, a large metal container full of tools.

    Secondly, we are expecting the use of trunnels to extend the life of Gamecock beyond 60 years. The April 2024 edition of the American magazine ‘Wooden Boats’ has several articles expounding the benefits of trunnels following the capsize in 2017 of a 25 foot Nordic Folkboat built in 1951. When the craft was recovered it was clear that the metal keelbolts holding the one-ton cast-iron keel had come away and all of the ballast was now on the bed of a Norwegian fiord. Outwardly the keelbolts looked healthy but they had corroded to thin needles because of galvanic action and acidity in the oak.

    Apparently as the metal corrodes it diffuses positive ions in to the water so that only electrons remain in the iron and they react with water and oxygen to produce rust. Stainless steel is less prone to this process but the more resistant forms are significantly more expensive and, off course, do not utilise the waste oak. The other consideration is corrosion of metal fixtures from the acidity released by wet, salty timber. Oak has a high level of acidity but even Douglas Fir, popular with boat-builders, can degrade metals. Our Volunteers spent over a Year extracting deeply embedded and corroded metal fixtures from timbers on Gamecock that we wished to retain.

    When trunnels are used they need to be of a similar density to the wood they are fixing. If the trunnel is too dense then it is likely to split or distort the timber in to which it is being driven: if not dense enough then it is likely to come loose over time. So, in the case of the Gamecock the waste oak is ideal for fixing to the oak frames and fits well with our attempts to protect the environment.

  • Pride in Place

    Pride in Place

    Whitstable Maritime has been awarded a ‘Pride in Place’ Grant in support of the Gamecock’s restoration.   

    Canterbury City Council (CCC) is the local lead authority for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025.  The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life changes across the UK investing in communities and places, supporting local business, and people and skills.  For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

    Whilst the fundamental restoration work has been completed, funding is now required for the next stage of Gamecock’s restoration journey:

    • restoring deck-beams and replacing the hull planking;
    • production and strength testing of trunnels (tree nails);
    • developing the Maritime Curriculum including a training programme tailored to the Oyster Yawl;
    • developing educational activities focused on the coast, eg marine conservation, local ecology, oysters and mans impact on the environment.

    Follow the restoration journey on www.whitstablemaritime.org.uk

    For more details, or to Volunteer, contact whitstablem@gmail.com

  • Gamecock Progress

    Gamecock Progress

    The first part of the first plank fitted.

    You can see the amount of twist in the plank. This meant it had to be steamed. Steaming makes the wood go ‘rubbery’ temporarily. It is then clamped into position and as it cools it hardens up again in the new shape.

    Watch this space for more planks being fitted…

  • Size Matters

    The typical Whitstable Oyster Yawl was between 40 and 45 foot in length. There were exceptions, for example the Rosa & ADA (F105) was 47 foot and Thyra was only 36 foot. For the yards along Island Way these were relatively small. Much larger craft were built on the slipways and then let down in to the sea at a time when there was no sea-wall.

    If you are interested in learning more about the larger vessels, then the Merchant Ships of Whitstable by Wallace Harvey (Emprint Publications, 1993) is a good source. 

    Some larger sailing ships registered as Whitstable built

    NAMEBUILDERBUILTTYPETONS
    BELMONTWhitstable Shipping Co.1895Schooner139t
    EQUIVALENTJames Daniels1847Schooner187t
    FANNY GANNThomas GannSchooner97t
    GRATITUDEWhitstable Shipping Co.1875Barquentine298t
    HANNAHWilliam Blackman1841Schooner113t
    MARY ANN GANNThomas Gann1847Schooner177t
    NELLIE S.George Henry Gann1876Brigantine282t
    SUNSHINEWhitstable Shipping Co.1890Ketch119t
    TANKERTON TOWERGoldfinch Bros.1884Schooner118t
    ZEBRINAWhitstable Shipping Co.1973Schooner156t
    Mary Ann Gann