Whaleboat Traditional and modern boatbuilding

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Photos of this glorious day: Launch wooden fishing boat Stella after thorough restoration

Read Willy's pieces about the restoration project (in Dutch), including many beautiful pictures :
History of Stella restoration by Willy Godderie Part 1
History of Stella restoration by Willy Godderie Part 2
History of Stella restoration by Willy Godderie Part 3
History of Stella restoration by Willy Godderie Part 4

all new and good to go!

I had been looking for a long time for a new steering wheel, but never found one with the right diameter and the right looks. So I decided (again) to build one from scratch. A stainless steel bar bent around a wooden mould and spotwelded makes the frame. The rods supporting the handles were turned on the lathe and metric screw-thread was cut. The wooden handles I made on the woodturning lathe from some meranti leftovers. Pleased with the result!

After 12 years of storage (outside, under a tarpaulin) we managed to bring the old Perkins back to life.
For the first attempt 4 batteries 12V were used, but.. no luck.

So we brought in the mighty Mitsubishi Galant, half the engine's age (20 years) and tried again. We're getting closer..

Friend and ultra-mechanic Emmanuel Dekeyser brings in some engineering magic, and there we go! Champagne! Edelweiss, edelweiss..

The engine runs smoothly, and only a small leakage in the exhaust/manifold appeared......

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Snapshots while building the deck house, hatches, floor panels and other wooden things..

If you ever need a strip-bending device, call our human screw jack. We call him Willy and his number is 047598...

There we go!
The wheel house as it will serve on the boat. This construction was made out of meranti, with larch panels and some paduk for the finishing touch. No screws or nails were used, just some good old dovetails, tenon and mortise joints and of course the inevitable boatbuilding glues - adding up to a very solid and beautiful entity.