Christeen - A Small Miracle

Small miracles transpired the Wednesday before turkey day.  Repairs to the Christeen are beginning to pick up momentum with a very successful volunteers meeting and now we are beginning to take her apart. The engine and shaft were removed from the boat for access to the keel.  The engine was found to be in excellent shape only needing some minor repairs - great news! Bottom paint was completely stripped from the boat, THANK YOU volunteers for giving your time to make this happen so quickly!

Volunteers work to remove the bottom paint

But the wondrous happening on Wednesday was the removal of the first two planks from Christeen's frames. In hopes of trying to save time and money our shipwrights, Josh and Joe, endeavored to remove two major planks without cutting or breaking them.  Expected to be near impossible, and expecting to resort to the use of cutting implements, hopes were not high entering into the task. However, as the planks begin to be pried away from the boat it became more and more of a possibility. After a few hours of negotiating the planks off the frames, all that stood between a small miracle was a small knot at the end of the final plank about 25' long. After careful nudging and the construction of a wedge the shipwrights and volunteers were indeed successful in the removal of both planks from the starboard side and in theory making the removal of the rest of the planks on this side easier.  Cross your fingers! As we hope all planks needed to be removed from the boat are off by Friday!