Putting the Worm Shoe on the Keel Bottom

The worm shoe going on the bottom of the keel

The keel bottom BEFORE the worm shoe is added.

Chuck Redmond applies tar to the keel bottom

Sealed Tight!

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The worm shoe is a piece of thick wood that goes onto the bottom of the keel like a layer cake. Picturedhere is Steve Willard of Marblehead and Harold with the wormshoe on the bottom of the keel while Chuck Redman applies the tar to the exposed part of the keel which will then be covered with wood.  According to one definition, a sacrificial worm shoe is a non-structural piece of wood, fixed to the underside of a wooden boat. One of the great advantages of a traditionally built wooden boat is that damaged parts can be replaced. Unfortunately, those underwater parts which are most likely to be damaged by a grounding are the most difficult to replace, hence the worm shoe.

Flying Jib Gets Some TLC

Work continues on the Flying Jib Friendship sloop owned by Sara Beck of Topsfield, MA. Sara's nephew Ben Spivak of Colorado, who is a schooner sailor in his own right, and his girlfriend Kate Tansky are replanking and reframing the Flying Jib in part to get her ready for the 50th anniversary of the Friendship Sloop regatta in July in Rockland, Maine. Ben and Kate are a welcome presence in the yard and - with Harold's guidance - they are doing a great job on the old girl. Sara also comes down on weekends to work hard. It is tough work but they are doing it with a smile as always. In the first photo, Harold is bending a frame into the hull of the Flying Jib, in the second photo he is under the bow using a crowbar to push the still warm frame up and in the third photo he is bending the plank after it came out of the steambox...so the photos are actually in reverse order!