Kosterboat - A Restoration

[chainyank]

I have decided to continue the discussion of the restoration of my gaff rigged Kosterbåt in a more continuous thread. I would call this a non-traditional restoration, as I will be making some improvements and using things like epoxy where appropriate, the previous owners started down this path and I have chosen to stay on it. Here is a sketch of her lines and rig:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5144/5684135367_6003136db1_z.jpg

Her rough measurements are 7.6m x 2.85m x 1.20m below the waterline.

I have drawn this from composite photos, so nothing is exact. Once the major work is done on her I can begin to take lines, make sail measurements, offsets, and all the things we all long for in an old boat. But before that fine day there is work to be done. I also plan to keep her in the water each summer so as this may slow down the progress of the project as a whole, I will be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/3289222106_5908cda4fc.jpg

I had a thread going for the last major phase of the project, Plank repair and replacement, which you can find here:
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?93050-Kosterboat-plank-replacement....-finally&highlight=

I will be posting on many of the "small" jobs I have been accomplishing over the last year or so, but first I'll talk about the most recent and exciting phase: The Cockpit!

[chainyank]

The old cockpit was an amalgamation of old wood, plywood, jerry-rigging, and rusted screws held in place by memory:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5684137415_03752b7fdf.jpg

I quickly learned what state it was in when the bench on the portside came off in my hands.

The boat has a commodious cockpit and a great sweeping combing going almost all the way out to her 2.85meter width. I tried a few configurations but settled on this idea:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5684135885_01cca79713.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5028/5684704022_06a4c94919.jpg

This bench would follow the combing, I would also make the entire bench the same level, it was in three levels before. I would also raise the whole cockpit, sole and bench by roughly 10cm to gain more space and give me a better line of sight, as I am a shorter guy. The old cockpit sat very deep in the hull, and it still will. This is a cockpit you sit in, not one you sit on!


After much back and forth I settled on a height for the sole and could set about making the base for the motor cover, the "center piece" of the cockpit, as it would be square and make for an easy place to draw lines off to the rest of the cockpit. And after many shooting battens and test profiles I finished with this:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5684714988_a548c3f9de_z.jpg
Here it is getting the supports for the sole added.

With the base made I worked on a sketch for the cover. working out some of the problematic joinery that would come with this angular solution.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5684140351_0b318dca56_z.jpg
In the end I felt the proportions were off, with the top becoming too small so I will decrease the lower sections height and increase the height and angle of the upper section. Being pressed to get things done for this spring, I put this aside and started on the rest of the cockpit.....

[sailorz]

very nice looking vessel!

[Dr.Spoke]

'You going sailing this year Joel? Or is it another season of building... Whichever, I should have a bit more time and energy to swing past with some beers. I need to have a chat with you about a project I'm (probably) about to embark on.

Edit: Don't see the beer holders on that engine cover... Please see that this is corrected!:d

[JoshuaIII]

I always loved clinker boat, it's a nice project you got there!

Not scared to raise too much the engine temperature trapping it in a small wooden box?

[chainyank]

'You going sailing this year Joel? Or is it another season of building... Whichever, I should have a bit more time and energy to swing past with some beers. I need to have a chat with you about a project I'm (probably) about to embark on.

Edit: Don't see the beer holders on that engine cover... Please see that this is corrected!:d

Yes Phil, the ol' gal'ul be gettin' er feet wet, she's overdue for a bath! It's good to hear from you, I thought you gave up on me after I kept luffing your wingsail! I hope your feeling well these days, I've been thinking about ya in this cold cold winter we had!

I think I'll need some help with the placement of said beer holders.... Why don't you come by with some example shapes so we can be sure I make the size and placement correctly. They best be filled so I don't make the holders too weak. And we best open them to see that they don't spill!

I'm happy to chat about any projects you have in mind, and always keen to gleen some advice from you as well! PM me you e-mail and number again, my Mob. went dead and took most of the SIM card with it so I am starting over. I am sure we can find a time!

[chainyank]

I always loved clinker boat, it's a nice project you got there!

Not scared to raise too much the engine temperature trapping it in a small wooden box?

The box I am building is actually bigger than the original. The top and front three sides will open like an old car hood, or "bonnet" for ya'll from the old country, so if things heat up on a long trip or hot day one can pop the top and let the breeze through, so I'm not so worried.

[skaraborgcraft]

If you guys get time ,try to look in on "udoma" with the ralph osbourne koster, hes in your neighbourhood,south of Stockholm. I think he will appricaiate some positive comments on the work that needs doing on his boat this year.

[chainyank]

So it's on to the cockpit framing then. I made a few templetes and settled on a shape. I decided to steam bend the "grand arch" in two sections and epoxy them together. I did some calcuations for spring back the best I could. Math is one of the things that kept me out of most practical professions, by the way.

I made up a bending mould. As this shape is basical the same as a huge stem for a huge canoe I built a frame like I had at the shop I worked at. It is standing so that you can get a good handle on the material and pull it down smoothly and clamp as you go, being one person. This was alittle more of a dance with a 3.5 meter stick but I gots me some light feet I guess.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5684706332_b30ab62c45.jpg

I have already heard all the whale jokes.

So as for the stick, it was kerf cut to about where the top black circle is on the bending frame. this would later be part of each side of the scarf. I would recommend adding a few more % spring back to whatever number you come up with, as I thought I had enough, but got problems. Steaming things not in place makes for headaches when things are released from the jig....

But I wrestled things into place and got the two side glued up, and into a new jig to keep everything even while I got it framed in.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5064/5684142045_65e6f8714f_z.jpg

with the vertical and horizontal framing in place I could remove the jig and pop the lower section in.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5684146365_fdfb1d2590_z.jpg

This creates the frame for the vertical "coting" like wainscoting ('spånt' they say here, though I am sure I am misspelling it.:o) Anyone got a more boaty name for the stuff? It ain't combing, that would sit horizontal right? You can see one piece of the old stuff clamped on there, mid left in the image.

Then things went very quickly and a day without out the camera is like a year! So there is the "coting" and I am onto the sole, ever so productive!
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5684716786_da0fff5467_z.jpg

Yes that is a teak sole you got there. "Scrap" from another job I'd been saving and I only needed a few, er 8 meters only, I'm glad I didn't have any greater plans for teak as 8 meters of 15x70mm teak will set you back about 2000kr these days. So that is the end of my fun with teak! But I am happy with how it turned out here.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5226/5684718704_c17bef8e6c_z.jpg
So here it is all cleaned up. Its a mess again now don't you worry, but I do like the simpleness of the whole thing, fitting for the working class look it had before with just a touch of style, if I may be so bold. No nibbing, no caulked seams, be-gad! Just good wood cut straight.

[chainyank]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5143/5684153127_35f677083c_z.jpg
Here the sole can be taken out if we need to hand start, change the oil, make adjustments to the reverse gear (which I know all need doing), and the hand crank sits nicely out of the way right on the floor, hopefully out of the way of feet and lines. Not as much can be said for the shifter, which sits in the middle of everything!

Now the benches are getting worked in, the gas tank made, and I'll have more on that soon.....

[Dr.Spoke]

Joel,
I know you're an artist - but that is wonderful work!
Give us a bell (0736495401/6) when you've got a little time

PhilMac

[chainyank]

Joel,
I know you're an artist - but that is wonderful work!
Give us a bell when you've got a little time

PhilMac
I'm on it!

[CharlieCobra]

Very nice work Joel.

[chainyank]

Forgive me Forum, for I have sinned. It has been four months since my last posting.

The summer goes fast here; full time job, vacation away, and visiting friends. On top of that, every spare moment this summer has been spent trouble shooting problems with the engine, the ever-loving Albin AL-23. This past saturday, a week before the old gal goes dry for the winter, I finally got the engine to start and run. In my excitement I snapped a quick vid with the iphony:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP6YkRudQx4

Forgot to hold it the right way so sorry about any neck pain I may inflict!

In the coming weeks I'll be more active, and make some posts about the final days work this past spring and all the work done on the engine, but for now, enjoy the 4-stroke jiggle!

[WCM]

Very nice work on a very nice looking type of boat.

[Per]

Happy to see Your progress!
Would it be possible to come and see it In Real Life sometime?
Am "working" full time as a granddaddy nowdays but may be excused to take time off if You have the time to show me.
What do you say?
Kindly greetings. Per

[chainyank]

I have to apologize to all of you here, that I have not been keeping you up to date with my progress. First off, all fall and winter I have been busy with other arts and had to put the boat on ice (easy enough to do in the cold Swedish winter). But I am back at work on her now, getting ready for the spring splash down, on the 19th, and I have loads of work to do both before and after launch. The big theme for this spring is interior design, and I will have more on that soon, but for now here is an image of where I left off last fall, the cockpit and the mockup for the motor cover. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/7027832729_9767703a57_z.jpg

I have some plans to make a pedestal to hold the throttle and compass on the back end of the motor cover. I had some questions about compass offsets from engines, etc. and everyone seems to think 80cm should be okay. Once we get on the water I can start making some tests on that distance. I got a better throttle handle than the one shown, and I hope to make enough space on the pedestal for the key and instruments. As always your thoughts are more than welcome!

I'll get some interior images up soon too!

Cheers!

[Thad]

Sure looks nice!!!

[chainyank]

More progress on the interior! Everything is roughed out and ready for hardware fittings, routing, and sanding. Soon there will be plugs.....
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7206006288_5bb6425ea6_z.jpg

The interior will be quite minimal, a v-berth up front and two benches on the sides, a table will hang from the mast foot. The galley will be in the style of the Dutch Galley box in Chapell's book. This way we can move the box into the cockpit at night and sleep 4 plus a small child in the middle of the camodious v-berth. We will not be passaging so much as sleeping at anchor so we can have the luxury of a big v-berth.

I have plans for some cabinets in the bench backs, with place for electrics and stowage, helping to keep things clutter free. I am not sure if I'll have time to make that stage, but if I don't I hope to mock it up for the summer to see how it feels.

Oh and that loose bit of OBS is not permanent!;)

[shade of knucklehead]

Nice work. I have always been partial to the looks of a curved bench with vertical joints under it.

You used a quite funny saying up a bit, "rusted screws held in place by memory".
I submit mine for consideration, "Duke, what's holding that piece in place? -- "Force of suction"

Me pop says that all the time, always cracks me up. I am going to lay the held in place by memory one on him sometime this week...

[Redeye]

I too enjoyed the "held in place by memory" saying :), I'll remember it and "force of suction" for further use, with full quotation of course :)

Boat's looking great, btw, I very much like the curved cockpit.

[svaap]

What a lovely boat, and excellent craftmanship!

I have a small Koster myself, in need of some love and care.... (Early 1900 model)

[chainyank]

Glad I could help with lightening your moods guys! Coming from maine we tend to say things off hand that to us seem completly reasonable, but seem funny or witty to others from away. Remind me to tell you all about the background to the comment "been betta" some day.

Svaap, you got the boat bug BAD don't you! I enjoy watching your progress as well. I can imagine it could be possible to outgrow a small Koster and long for a Collin Archer! We'll see how I cope, I need to learn to sail her to her limits first, and I imagine that will take some time.

[Per]

À propos things that remain together without obvious reason, like rusty screws and nuts, or whatever. I guess a straightforward translation of the most common swedish expression would be: Stick together due to old habit.
(Hänger/sitter ihop av gammal vana. :)