Our 3rd week of haul out went well despite weather conditions. As always this group of hardworking and inventive shipwrights found ways to get their work area’s sheltered from the elements so work did not slow. Crew quarters were sanded and painted so now the dungeon is much brighter. Captain quarters are getting a new coat of paint as well. Onto the near end of the planking. In a previous blog we talked about how we destructed the planned planks, doe skinned the pattern, spiled for the new planks, cut the planks, set them in with huge fasteners, bunged the fastener holes, faired the wood to the hull, coated the seams. This week began the finish work of filling in the seams and prepping for paint. This process involves setting cotton down to the inside edges of the planks in a pattern that fills the seam. Then it takes 2 people to use a horsing iron (chisel like) and a beetle (sledge) to pound it in.  The process is then duplicated using Oakum which is a hemp. Once again it is pounded in. This involves considerable strength and skill-actually the whole planking process is an intricate art which requires lots of muscle. Brain plus leveraged muscle and an artistic touch bring new planks to a historic hull. Then seam compound is applied and a coating of seam cement and finally the paint. Name boards have been prepped, and resealed, cabin sides ready for painting and  tens of other projects being worked on. We splash down in the water on Friday, the 19th..whoohoo!