building progress

[Bernadette]

Alex, there's nothing to be gained in your suggested method except a whole lot of unwanted and unnecessary 'issues' and more to be gained by lifting.
Thanks anyhow.

[WX]

What I planned to do was jack/lift the boat up and whilst doing this support her under the rubbing strake with supports.

That is basically what I did to fit the keel to Redwing.

[Geftb]

If im understanding properly Bernadette? This a link to Leo lifting tally ho. Scroll to the 15:15 mark
https://youtu.be/ympYv5i8ER4

Steve

[Larks]

I’m not sure why you say the entire boat needs to be raised before being lowered at the stern Bernadette, is there a particular reason why you can’t just raise the bow to get your level? For a couple of weeks I had the H28 up and down and re-levelled a number of times while I worked on the ballast, the garboard and the fibreglassing and I did it by just raising one end at a time slowly and methodically and mostly using the arms/supports at the other end for stability.

I jacked up one end about 10mm at a time while keeping a very close eye on how the arms were behaving before taking the other end up about 20mm, then 20mm back at the other end and so on, so kinda leap-frogging either end. In my case, I could still wind in or let out the arms at the end that I was working on with turnbuckles that support the arms back closer to the keel, even though I wasn’t necessarily relying on them at that end to hold the boat up.

But to complicate things a little, as the boat pivoted while the other end was being raised (or lowered) the position of the supporting arms at the sheer moved back and forward so the beam at that point where the active supporting arms are against the hull would increase or decrease - meaning those arms needed to be watched closely to keep them in touch with the boat or to make sure that they weren’t essentially holding the full weight of the boat.

In your case I’d think, ignoring the middle support arms for the moment, some additional 4 x 2’s as struts from the aft support arms out to the concrete shed wall base would give you some peace of mind and confidence in their ability to stabilise the boat, and if you can’t adjust the front arms while you’re raising the bow maybe some wedges would help keep them in touch with the boat for extra support as you raise it.

The other thing to consider is to keep topping up supporting blocks under the keel incrementally with shims and wedges as you lift, keeping them as close to the keel as you can as you go up so that you don’t rely entirely on the jacks. I have a concrete floor so it was more a peace of mind thing for me, but with your dirt floor I think it’d be even more important to have that peace of mind belt and braces approach.

[John B]

Yes , I'm curious too about all that Greg has said. I hauled Waione for over 20 years in an old yard, cradle /dolly/ tractor setup and jacked down onto blocks etc, and we often would go alongside a pile grid for cleaning. I recall the first time I noticed she was sitting alongside with loose lines, no water, completely dry and she was just standing there. We'd worked for hours on her but absolutely no show of her falling because although its counterintuitive to the eye, half that boats total weight was right down on the sleepers. That gave me a lot of confidence in all sorts of other shifts and manouvres over the years.
If you lock up the rear cradle arms with bracing out to the shed as Greg suggests , she's not going to fall.
A good test is to remove the wedges or shift the arms an inch and give her a push or two to feel the resistance.
There is a caveat. If you lift the total weight of the boat off the cradle base then it becomes only the weight of the cradle leaning against the boat. But if you leave the heel of the keel bearing on the base as you jack the bow , the rear arms are still being stablised by the boats weight. You can go another step and block the cradle base out to the shed floorplate for peace of mind.
I saw that happen in our yard once. A guy jacked the boat under the keel front and rear, could have kicked the cradle out. In effect the boat was standing on two jacks and the only sideways support was the cradle weight, and that was sitting on blocks. He got shut down pretty quickly.

[Mark0]

We had to go from waterline level to keel level for trucking. It's not fun jacking and moving a large object ! Murielle figured out the pivot point needed on CAD, and we jacked the stern up as the bow came down. Knowing the pivot point allowed setting some stands that needed little adjustment. We did keep a level on the hull to make sure things stayed vertical athwartship. We were lucky that a friend had cribbing and jacks for us to use !

Cheers,
Mark

[Bernadette]

Greg, thanks for your input. much appreciated. I'll reply in blue as its easier to see my notes.

I’m not sure why you say the entire boat needs to be raised before being lowered at the stern Bernadette, is there a particular reason why you can’t just raise the bow to get your level? ​At first I thought I could just lift the bow as she currently sits in the cradle, but by doing so I would have to alter the aft vertical supports as the boat will bear down in these arms and I have no way to incrementally alter the rear arms as the boat position moves.
She is currently a bit too tight in these arms anyway and Im going to be easing them off by knocking out the floor wedges today. I got a bit overzealous the other day and knocked in too many whilst I was trying out a few things.
She's not sitting tight in the forward arms as she sits now as I have been relying on the aft arms to keep her steady.

So to answer your question: I know I need to raise the stern in order to get the height evelation at the bow (to prevent the stern digging into the dirt floor and the bearer digging into the keel). As she pivots on the stern (being the lowest point) she has no room to move at the stern at present as she is only about 4" off the ground and this 4" is the height of the rear athwartships floor bearer.


For a couple of weeks I had the H28 up and down and re-levelled a number of times while I worked on the ballast, the garboard and the fibreglassing and I did it by just raising one end at a time slowly and methodically and mostly using the arms/supports at the other end for stability.

I jacked up one end about 10mm at a time while keeping a very close eye on how the arms were behaving before taking the other end up about 20mm, then 20mm back at the other end and so on, so kinda leap-frogging either end. In my case, I could still wind in or let out the arms at the end that I was working on with turnbuckles that support the arms back closer to the keel, even though I wasn’t necessarily relying on them at that end to hold the boat up. This is where Im baulking at the job. I dont have readily adjustable arms in which to keep control of the boat as she is moved. And I dont want to pinch or push her too hard into the aft arms s they are now. When I lowered the boat down into the moving cradle I didnt take into account any other position the boat might need to be in. I could go ahead and alter the cradle but Im getting tired of doing things twice!!!!


But to complicate things a little, as the boat pivoted while the other end was being raised (or lowered) the position of the supporting arms at the sheer moved back and forward so the beam at that point where the active supporting arms are against the hull would increase or decrease - meaning those arms needed to be watched closely to keep them in touch with the boat or to make sure that they weren’t essentially holding the full weight of the boat.



In your case I’d think, ignoring the middle support arms for the moment,they have hone for good now> I took them out some additional 4 x 2’s as struts from the aft support arms out to the concrete shed wall base would give you some peace of mind and confidence in their ability to stabilise the boat,the arms will stand independently on their own. the cradle is built using big timber and braced. no chance of it falling in/out or sideways. and if you can’t adjust the front arms while you’re raising the bow maybe some wedges would help keep them in touch with the boat for extra support as you raise it.

The most simplistic method would be to just hold her up with four supports under the rubbing strake but it will need a heck of a lot of due care and attention to ensure they don't move/fall out when lifting etc. Andrew is not keen on this idea. To be fair, if he isn't confident then I dont want to risk it. I know its more than possible, but as Andrew is my only help now, I need to ensure he has the confidence in what we are doing. You could hold the boat up with one hand as we all know as the weight is on the keel, but trying to convince Andrew of this is just another aspect of the job I have to consider. The alternative to being upright is catastrophic.

The other thing to consider is to keep topping up supporting blocks under the keel incrementally with shims and wedges as you lift, keeping them as close to the keel as you can as you go up so that you don’t rely entirely on the jacks. I have a concrete floor so it was more a peace of mind thing for me, but with your dirt floor I think it’d be even more important to have that peace of mind belt and braces approach.
Yeah, I hate jacks. We are going to get hold of a 5 or 6 ton jack this time. Whilst the two ton jacks worked last time when lowering into the moving cradle, they are incredibly difficult to control when letting off because they are not rated to the weight of the boat. Ive got blocks, wedges and shims aplenty here. The dirt floor is quite good actually. its 4" of cracker dust on sand. It's very solid and 'reliable'.

[Bernadette]

We had to go from waterline level to keel level for trucking. It's not fun jacking and moving a large object ! Murielle figured out the pivot point needed on CAD, and we jacked the stern up as the bow came down. Knowing the pivot point allowed setting some stands that needed little adjustment. We did keep a level on the hull to make sure things stayed vertical athwartship. We were lucky that a friend had cribbing and jacks for us to use !

Cheers,
Mark

Hey Mark, nice story!!!

Its rather fortunate I had marked in my waterline as that's my only reference now when putting the boat back on her marks. If I had a 100% level cement floor I could've checked the keel position against that but I don't. I tend to second guess myself and overthink a problem. in my defence, so much is relying on getting the boat back into position to complete the interior build.
Even though the designer did draw up plans for a 30' boat (the Katy), we stretched the Susan plan from 28'6" to 30' LOD. So each frame spacing is increased and Im working with the Susan lines and construction plans.
Anyway, I can only keep moving forward here.... I appreciate your story though. Some sort of additional levelling line drawn onto the cabin side for example, would've helped me immensely. That way I would have had two points of reference.

[Bernadette]

Yes , I'm curious too about all that Greg has said. I hauled Waione for over 20 years in an old yard, cradle /dolly/ tractor setup and jacked down onto blocks etc, and we often would go alongside a pile grid for cleaning. I recall the first time I noticed she was sitting alongside with loose lines, no water, completely dry and she was just standing there. We'd worked for hours on her but absolutely no show of her falling because although its counterintuitive to the eye, half that boats total weight was right down on the sleepers. That gave me a lot of confidence in all sorts of other shifts and manouvres over the years.
If you lock up the rear cradle arms with bracing out to the shed as Greg suggests , she's not going to fall.
A good test is to remove the wedges or shift the arms an inch and give her a push or two to feel the resistance.
There is a caveat. If you lift the total weight of the boat off the cradle base then it becomes only the weight of the cradle leaning against the boat. But if you leave the heel of the keel bearing on the base as you jack the bow , the rear arms are still being stablised by the boats weight. You can go another step and block the cradle base out to the shed floorplate for peace of mind.
I saw that happen in our yard once. A guy jacked the boat under the keel front and rear, could have kicked the cradle out. In effect the boat was standing on two jacks and the only sideways support was the cradle weight, and that was sitting on blocks. He got shut down pretty quickly.

Hey John, The construction of the cradle and the uprights are so strong they wouldn't fall or push over or break if the boat decided to move sideways! I have that much confidence in them. In that case, I don't need to run bracing back to the shed walls.

Im moving towards having to purchase dedicated sailboat stands and use these whilst I move the boat up. As you know, these have tilt heads and the screw strut will allow for constant position changes until she is in place. So as I lift, the boat will always have the protection of the timber cradle, keeping the weight on the keel, the struts will be in place to keep her steady and I think I'll also utilise timber supports under the rubbing strake.

[Larks]

It sounds like it might be worth investing in four acrow props - Bunnings has them for $119 each but you could probably find some cheaper second hand on Gumtree or Marketplace. They may work better for you in being able to either prop them under your rubbing strake as you suggest or under the curve of the hull at the pivot point and would give you some long term options. That’s pretty much all yard stands are anyway - modified acrow props.

I hear what you are saying about the boat bearing down on the arms as the position changes and how the fixed arms makes that difficult. If you were up for modifying the cradle you could also use the acrow props as adjustable props on the existing arms, my set up with the adjustable arms (using chain and turnbuckles) also allowed me to get the hull trimmed and level athwartships.

When I was raising mine I’d start from the stern each time and let the weight essentially roll on the forefoot then plonk a block under the keel aft so that it could then pivot on that as I raised the bow.

I’d add that those blocks under the keel weren’t all that far apart, far enough that they were fore and aft of the (perceived) pivot point, but not so extreme that the jacks had to left the full weight each time. Just enough that I knew it wouldn’t unbalance and rock back as I lifted it. I spread the load more once I had it in position so that it was stable when I move around in and on the boat.

As for doing things more than twice, that seems to be just the way of boat building wherever you go - it’s the same in the commercial world of boat building and refitting, I’ve learned to live with it and to plan with that expectation.

[Bernadette]

hmmm...yes well I think I need to bite the bullet and do some work on the cradle. Ive been trying to avoid that! I just want to get down below to start work there.
The acre props are a good idea and as you say readibly available. However I was wanting to get something with a swivel top.

Ive investigated the boat stands and I can get them (cheapest) for $466 each (from Butchart Marine Services) plus freight which makes them expensive (but an otherwise good investment). Ive started to think about just buying the screw arms/tops with tilting heads and getting them sleeved into thick walled galvanised pipe which I could then secure on to the existing cradle at a modified angle. The screw tops use a #4 acme thread. So Im guessing I can get a sleeve to transition the screw top with the piping but not sure how much thread engagement is required.

I just did a quick search on the net re the Acrow Props. Looks like you can buy swivel heads (but currently out of stock where I searched).

[Larks]

You could just screw a timber face to the top of the acrow prop to keep the steel end well away from the boat and to spread the load and use timber wedges for the tilt. I’ve only ever used wedges but it wouldn’t be too hard to make up a tilting head with another piece of timber and some pivot hinges.

I made up some rough and ready stands for the waist of the H28 out of scraps and some threaded rod, they didn’t need to be super sturdy to provide the level of support that I needed to support the waist of the hull from sagging over the long term but they could give you an idea for modifying acrow props or making your own.

On mine a length of steel tube provides the support and the threaded rod with a nut provides the height adjustment. The steel plates on the end of the threaded rod have holes to screw to a block of wood and I positioned wedges between the wood and the hull to meet the curve of the hull. I also used wedges under the heel of the prop to adjust the angle of the prop where I needed to.

921428C8-8AE4-45CE-85C3-7F6CC6017963_1_201_a.jpg

[Bernadette]

thanks greg. im looking at similar options now.
some good options cropping up now! I appreciate the help and ideas.

boat struts copy.jpg
this from Bob's build of the Susan.

I wish I could weld .... and I hate working with metals other than copper and bronze.

[Larks]

Welding is definitely a skill well worth learning and it isn’t as difficult as you might think, particularly with gasless MIG welding - once you get into it you’ll be surprised how much you use it and the fun projects that you’ll find to use it on. Youtube is an amazing instructor and classroom these days.

It’s worth investing in a welder and you can pick up a good multi function welder that does gas/gasless MIG, arc (stick) and TIG for a reasonable price these days - but get a decent one. I have a very good Lincoln and I understand that Unimig have a pretty good reputation as well. The cheap ones aren’t worth a pinch of the proverbial, the guns and lines give out quickly and don’t feed as they need to.

Here’s a rough and ready bird feeder that I knocked up very quickly in a couple of hours from scrap laying about the shed for my father in law for his birthday last week. The bowl is the base of a gas bottle that I had cut up for another project, the beak is a split railway spike, the feet are an old garden fork and the tail and head feathers are a bit of unraveled cable - other than the interior of the bowl itself, it’s intended to go rusty in the garden:


[IMG]IMG_3979 by Greg Larkin, on Flickr[/IMG]

[Bernadette]

Greg, the bird feeder is super! I love it! I plant trees for the birds but don't have much water for them when it gets hot.

I used to be able to call in on a local engineer that did all my welding and other metal work jobs. He's left town now. Pity, as he was quite crafted and understood boat stuff.
An old school mate close by has a large engineering shop so he's my go to person now (he doesn't know it yet). He replaced the deck on our ride on mower: made a new one up in SS.
I know I should've learnt to weld years ago. I almost signed up for a TAFE course once but other things got in the way.

[Larks]

Seriously, shout yourself one of these and teach yourself - or get your old school mate to come around and give you a lesson, you really will wonder why you hadn’t got onto it before:

https://www.totaltools.com.au/158483...xoC_DQQAvD_BwE

https://unimig.com.au/product/viper-...-stick-welder/

[debenriver]

Hi Bernadette – over my time in the boatyard I've jacked up hundreds of boats of all descriptions. Our "standard" method was to keep the boat upright with four wires and 4:1 or 3:1 rope tackles – two aft and two forward. From a strongpoint on the boat (sampson post, shroudplates, etc) to a strongpoint on the ground as far away as practicable. In your case I guess the bases of the building uprights.

Basic rule was:

Never lift the boat on two jacks – always have one end (aft or forward) on a good secure set of blocks. As (say the forward end) is jacked up, the tackles can be eased – there is some stretch in the rope anyway. Then after a lift of say 100mm, the forward end is set on blocks and the aft end jacked up in the same way with the tackles being eased. When jacking, have a set of blocks alongside the jack, together with folding wedges, thin timber etc., and follow the jack up – so if something goes wrong and the jack slips etc., the boat only has a very small distance to drop – perhaps 10mm.

In this way - alternating from one end to the other – you can safely lift the boat quite a long way. Critical is good, stable blocks. And keeping the tackles in tune with the lift.

In some 35 years of jacking boats this way I only ever dropped one boat – and that was because I was careless with the blocks and positioning the jack. If you have enough helpers, you can get them to follow the boat up with dogshores – just simple lengths of timber with wedges against the hull. But never rely on those – and beware getting jammed in whilst lowering – the wires and tackles will hold her upright – almost no load on them as long as she stays vertical.

Cheers -- George

[Bernadette]

Thanks George.
I appreciate your clear and concise instructions!

What is a "folding wedge"? Ive never heard the term before.
Ive got plenty of blocks (left over keel pieces mostly from Dad's boatbuilding work) and wedges. Even made up some more wedges just to be sure last week.


I have had no problems in the past with lifting and lowering boats. In fact when we lowered my current build into her moving cradle, I took lines from her aft section to the shed overhead and used these to secure against accidental movement (and fall) as well as having the struts (lengths of timber) wedged up under the rubbing strake.

I feel a bit sheepish now having had my earlier rant about the frustrations of my current situation, especially on a public forum!
I know I can think things through but this just got to me as I dearly wanted to be down below now working on her interior. Until I get the boat on her lines there's plenty to do though. I might decide upon cleaning down the hull or sitting down below pondering the layout! I can cut in hatch apertures and so forth and a multitude of other jobs. Andrew is most helpful and extremely supportive. Its all my own doing this level of angst!

Time and my ankle are working against me. I will have to return to paid work soon and my ankle is a serious issue to contend with. I am heading towards a joint replacement. And all I really want to do I build my boat.
Im kicking myself for not having thought the cradle issue through a bit better in order to prevent the issue Im facing just now. In my defence there was a lot going on having to move Dad into aged care, selling his home and clearing his house, the shed and property in readiness to sell (sans help from the other siblings).

So having said all of that, the conversations here are invaluable to me in so many ways. It certainly lets me know my thinking is not way out in the first instance. I value the input and ideas from others.

[Bernadette]

I wanted to share these from the yard.


IMG_4289.jpg
callistemons (bottle brushes) are all in flower.
this pink one I planted outside our bedroom window.
the scent is divine.
the birds are going crazy over a particularly heavy flowering dark red one.

IMG_4291.jpg
the cinnamon tree springing back to life after a heavy prune.
the bark is of course the source of the spice we all know.
we keep this one pruned low and compact because it is very close to the house (the insurance companies don't like trees close to houses in cyclone affected areas. you can get a discount with some insurers if you lay claim to having no trees beside the house).
the new growth is always spectacular.

IMG_4293.jpg
ornamental pineapple.

[debenriver]

Thanks George.
I appreciate your clear and concise instructions!

What is a "folding wedge"? Ive never heard the term before.
Ive got plenty of blocks (left over keel pieces mostly from Dad's boatbuilding work) and wedges. Even made up some more wedges just to be sure last week.

A folding wedge is just two, usually fairly shallow wedges, driven opposed to each other, one on top of the other – so basically they form a rectangle whose height is increased as the wedges are driven in against each other. They will take weight without setting the boat over at an angle, as a single wedge would.

Probably called something else in different places!

It's a big project building a boat this size and I guess there are bound to be times when it gets overwhelming. I've always found that with a big project, after mapping out a very basic plan of action (and not in great detail) it's best just to simply tackle each job as it comes along without worrying about eventual completion or overthinking future potential problems. That way you get the satisfaction of something done and completed – rather than an open-ended currently incomplete project. Step by step in fact.

Cheers -- George

[Powerwagon]

I’m interested to see the next phase…I love these sorts of challenges and the solutions people like you develop to overcome them. Perseverance! It’s easy to get discouraged, I have felt like I’m taking too long on my project and I’ll never get it done. Then I just remember I love doing the work…the process is as much (or more) a part of the enjoyment as having and using the finished product. It’s really hard when life gets in the way…adulting sucks as my friend likes to say.

It's a big project building a boat this size and I guess there are bound to be times when it gets overwhelming. I've always found that with a big project, after mapping out a very basic plan of action (and not in great detail) it's best just to simply tackle each job as it comes along without worrying about eventual completion or overthinking future potential problems. That way you get the satisfaction of something done and completed – rather than an open-ended currently incomplete project. Step by step in fact.

I couldn’t agree more! Well said.

[Bernadette]

A folding wedge is just two, usually fairly shallow wedges, driven opposed to each other, one on top of the other – so basically they form a rectangle whose height is increased as the wedges are driven in against each other. They will take weight without setting the boat over at an angle, as a single wedge would.

Probably called something else in different places!

It's a big project building a boat this size and I guess there are bound to be times when it gets overwhelming. I've always found that with a big project, after mapping out a very basic plan of action (and not in great detail) it's best just to simply tackle each job as it comes along without worrying about eventual completion or overthinking future potential problems. That way you get the satisfaction of something done and completed – rather than an open-ended currently incomplete project. Step by step in fact.

Cheers -- George

ah yes, now I understand! I use this technique all the time in all manner off applications with big and little wedges!

yesterday I took stock of my progress.
to be fair, the job is moving forward but just not as quick as I had hoped for. I have a lot of trouble with my ankle and this is slowing me down a great deal. other than that, I start to become aware of time passing as I move forward to the date when I have to go back to work. this irks me!

I do have a build plan. I found how to do this when I built Pequot. I have used the same process with Decatur and now this boat. But as you may be aware, this has gone on for far too long.....still I remain extremely optimistic and relish every day I get to work on my boat.
im doing the one my own whereas with the other boats we had a team of three and we were all that much younger!

Thanks George for your kind words.

[Bernadette]

I’m interested to see the next phase…I love these sorts of challenges and the solutions people like you develop to overcome them. Perseverance! It’s easy to get discouraged, I have felt like I’m taking too long on my project and I’ll never get it done. Then I just remember I love doing the work…the process is as much (or more) a part of the enjoyment as having and using the finished product. It’s really hard when life gets in the way…adulting sucks as my friend likes to say.
I couldn’t agree more! Well said.

ive almost got the answer to my immediate problem sorted. so will hopefully have the boat levelled within a week or two. parts and equipment pending.
every day Im building is a day closer to when I get to head offshore. the thought of reliving sailing days is all I live for in this regard. having said that, I do enjoy mucking about with timber.

[auscruisertom]

Hi Bern
Great finding some time to catch up with your progress. Wow you are doing amazing work ,and don’t forget to reward yourself occasionally.

[Bernadette]

Hi Bern
Great finding some time to catch up with your progress. Wow you are doing amazing work ,and don’t forget to reward yourself occasionally.

hi tom, nice to hear from you. yes I rewarded myself recently with a new bandsaw!

[Bernadette]

IMG_4358.jpg
got power and lighting installed at the shed today.

[nedL]

Nice!!!!!!

[Powerwagon]

Great progress! That looks like an awesome boat shop.

[Bernadette]

IMG_5759.jpg

UPDATE: I had been away working for about 13 weeks then home for one day then off to NZ for two weeks to meet with Andrew's extended family who flew over from England.
Back home for a few weeks now but not doing any boat work. The R ankle is cactus and I have surgery booked finally for this Thursday 9 March for a total Ankle Replacement. It's been a real struggle walking on the ankle and Im really fed up with the physical limitations and pain.

The acrow props (in the photo) above have been my only progress (not counting the Sestral Moore Compass acquisition/see my other thread) for the boat. I had the props welded onto the tripod feet and two of the props cut down in length. I will place timber pads and carpet on the articulated faces of the props and a locking screw of sorts.

The boat will be moved back onto her waterline and secured when Im back walking again which Im guessing will be in about 6 to 8 weeks. After that I will be back at work in the NT. So it looks like I will get a clear run for a start on the fit out sometime in August.

and BTW, here's a photo of Pigeon Hole community underwater from the recent devastating floods. Three entire communities(Pigeon Hole, Dagaragu and Kalkarindji) were airlifted out.
334311863_732567591874064_4941677539511314242_n.jpg
a lot of Kalkarindji community went under but not the clinic nor my own accommodation thankfully.
the flood was the easy part...next the clean up and rebuilding. Community folk have been housed in the Center for National Resilience in Howard Springs (ex COVID quarantine emergency accommodation).

[Thad]

Best wishes! for you and for all those people flooded out. I wonder about your ankle replacement. My brother had his ankle crushed when a car struck his motorcycle about 50 years ago and suffered with a barely functional ankle until just a few years ago. His ankle replacement is rigid, without the motion of the ankle, limiting his mobility somewhat and calling for a shoe sole with some rocker, but no pain as he had for so long.

[Bernadette]

Thanks Thad.
From what you say I suspect your brother may have had an arthrodesis which is an ankle fusion. If his ankle was "crushed" he may have suffered damage to a lot of bones in the foot which may not have been improved with a single joint replacement.

I also wonder in the case of your brother if something drastic has gone wrong with the prosthesis if indeed he did undergo joint replacement?

I am getting a joint replacement manufactured by Wright (USA). Rather nifty bit of kit comes with the prosthesis too I might add! After taking a set of CT images a system of jigs for the surgeon are provided to guide exact alignment, cutting and drilling angles etc to fit the prosthesis and correct tilt in the joint. In my case I have a 9.2 degree tilt (varus).

Ankle joint replacement is relatively new in the orthopaedic field (In Australia): still in its formative years with not a whole lot of data gathered. Not too many surgeon can do the highly specialised work and similarly there are not too many candidates. Ive had to travel to Brisbane for treatment which is about 1500 km from my home so there's a lot or air travel.
I am so looking forward to regaining a much higher level of fitness I know I am capable of despite my age and years of de-conditioning.

[Thad]

Hello Bernadette,
Thanks for the details. I think my brother had more damage to the bottom of the leg bones than the foot. It was called a replacement but that's all I know. He is much better off without the pain and occasional disability.

[Bernadette]

IMG_5818.jpg
surgery all done and me this morning ready for discharge. the smile was only temporary before I got another serious bout of pain! all up though, the experience has been quite good. the best anaesthetic Ive ever had courtesy of a lovely doctor...and my surgeon is happy with his work! next step is getting home on Sunday. not looking forward to that at all.

[gray duck]

Good luck with your recovery! Elevate, elevate, elevate.

[Hugh MacD]

Congratulations! I just had a knee replacement, so I quite sympathize! Follow the docker's orders, eh? But you know that