Thread: 1928 Sydney Harbor Ferry

it has been suggested we use tallowood for the flooring in the interior, any thoughts?

Sounds like she has a bit of history so probably worth getting a shipwright to look at the transom - there are a few around Sydney. Try Ian Smith & Simon Sabudin at Chowder Bay or Stephen Gale for an opinion.

Looks great and worth keeping true to it's provenance - they were well built.

Originally Posted by myrnaboys

Bit of a general post , but a few mates and I ( skiff sailors mainly) recently purchased and beaut old ferry built by that Adelaide Steam Ship Company out of Balmain in about 1928. She is 35 feet long with a a big overhanging stern and that last owner has added a forward wheelhouse whereas originally she was all cabin with a cabin mounted engine, it now sits beneath the wheelhouse


She was lying in Pittwater and had about 3 years worth of growth on her bum and hadnt run for the same amount of time, we slipped her and got her going and brought her up to Sydney in big 2 mtere swells a couple of weeks ago and we are now ready to fix what needs fixing

As I said we are skiffsailors and working on wooden boats is not our forte so we are looking for any advice and pointers towards books, websites or anything else that may help us. Overall she is pretty solid.The transom has taken a bang and we need to pull up the rear deck and repalce it and fix the planks that have popped and put in a new rubbing rail. Up forward there is another plank that need resetting and we have to finish the floor in the cabin and then whack some paint on her.

we are not totally clueless but any pointers would be greatly appreciated. I have attached a pic.............cheers

A lot of old boats used Australian white beech as decking.
Mal from Boutique Timbers has a lot of this in various lengths, widths and thicknesses.
If you are interested in this or any other timbers call him on 0265 858296. He has provided a lot of Aust rosewood for boat interiors as well.
He delivers to Sydney monthly
Regards
Greg

The boys took a few weeks off and got to work on the floor, I have posted some new pics of the joists going in and the ply down and the ende result.....hasnt been coated yest but almost there, they did a great job..........now we just have to do the rest!

On the other side of the coin we have found out a lot more about her history and should shortly have a set of the original plans....

Cheers

Very nice.

Richard

The one on the right is saying, " see, now this is a deck, not a floor"

Al

That is a very nice DECK

IF I may interrupt this debate to stop you landlubbing swabs getting into too much more trouble.

In fact, the horizontal floor bit referred to in these photographs is probably not a deck at all.

I suspect that if the photographs are indicative of the form of craft, the deck will be a structure a little higher, say where the chaps in photo are sitting, and this is in fact a Sole.

The floor timbers are quite visible in the first two photographs however.

On a ship, each level is correctly called a deck, but a boat (such as this) is unlikely to have more than one.

So.

Great job on the new sole boys!

Cheers,

P

Ohhhh ... g ... g ... go suck on a wino Midge

Richard

Midge, is the term "joists" right on a boat or is that something else too ? :confused:


Cheers.............Sean

Originally Posted by scooter

Midge, is the term "joists" right on a boat or is that something else too ? :confused:

Nah, just to confuse you even more, they're "deck beams"!

But the owners can call them anything they like! (refer rule 11 in the Ninja code of conduct!)


Cheers,

P

Just to toss a few bob into the bucket

You did check those frames before you stuck that ply down didnt you? Realizing that the pics are a bit iffy for a good looksee Id say just looking at that 2nd pic there are possibly a few that need sistering what about the keel and rudder post and stuffing box? what about the deadwood, the knees and carlins? what are the planks like how many need taking off and replacing? how is the caulking inbetween the planks? hows the landings on the rabbet? These along with other things are things that need to be looked at closely fixed properly BEFORE you even consider thinking about the deck!!

And I must ask... why the heck didnt you blokes CLEAN the bilges first?... so you can have a good hard long look down there... again before you put the ply in? I know Im not wrong here since the inside hull appears dirty with grime showing not only in the shots without the ply but also in the second last one above the new ply... why would you do that?

Why would anyone in their half right mind that got hold of such a fine boat of such vintage and do a half assed job of restoring her? Sorry to burst you bubble but do it bloody right eh! :mad:

Suggestion if I may? first pull that bloody ply back up and toss it... then get down and friggin dirty in the bilge and clean it up get the paint off the shyte off and see the wood for what it needs... both inside and outside YOU NEED TO SEE IT CLOSELY!!!

Do that and it may scare the shyte out of you and you will need to get into a real deep serious learning curve but at least you wont scare the crap out of yourself when the frames go the planks pop and she starts taking on water at a rate of knots the bilge pump wont handle... Do it right... Ive seen blokes get hold of some fine old boats and do half assed jobs of fixing them up only to find shes stuffed in one or more areas and because they didnt bloody well think it through and go over every friggin inch of her bit by bit and repairing or replacing every thing that needed repairing or replacing that not too long after "completing" the "restoration" they needed serious work to remove the epoxy and other crap work they had done to fix her then what happened? They got off at her and she sits rotting in some back bloody yard!! Do it right and she will be a beautiful asset and an utter joy for many many years to come do it half assed and she will be a burden

Looking at what youve given so far Id say just quietly that you have more work to do to her than any of you have even considered or think you can pass on some of it by covering it up with ply and she will be right... sorry mate boats that go on water dont work that way... fix her right and she will keep you and yours safe for many years dont and well we wont go there will we? but its what will happen if you dont stop and tackle her needs the right way

Mate shes a beautiful boat with a great history so get her back to what she was by doin the job properly please

Sorry if that sounded harsh and angry but mate shes a real beauty with an age of solidity behind her... and Im sick of seeing people buy such as she and then stuff around "fixing" her but failing to do the MUCH needed work... the paint should have been taken off the grime and old oil grease and gunk in the bilge should have been stripped out... this is the ONLY way to see closely at the wood of the frames for a start to know if theyre cracked or split but its still there after you laid the ply!! I guess I just saw such a fine old girl and saw the paint and grime there in the bilge and thought "shyte no! not another botched up halfassed job!" Im getting tired of seeing it happen to the old girls 1928 and you dont look at the frames? man! that timber down there has seen a heck of a lot of water pass under her a heck of a lot of stress pressure and who knows what sort of maintenance program shes had over that time! Please do it right

She sister to the african queen, she'll be right lol

HJ0