BULWARK REPAIR, GAMMONS, FIDDLE HEADS

[Clyde A. Phillips]

Britton, 

Given my age and the fact that it’s been a l o n g time since I’ve worked on Newporters (and a lot of new technology has been preferred since then) I am unable to speak knowledgeably to your forward bulwark rot problem.  But I do have some things to say (always, but take it with a critical eye) from what I think I understand. 

First, about the repair you have done.  That may well take care of it, but for how long I can’t guess.  Is it strong enough?  I think it is, but time will tell.  Epoxy seems to be much stronger than plywood and the old glues.  It is stronger than the glue used to build the boats and my tests on that proved it to be stronger than the wood, so it seems safe.  There is not much pressure or stress put on that section, except, maybe, where the gammon iron (the plate that helps to secure the bowsprit) is.  So, here’s one tentative vote for it being a good repair.  I would have preferred repairing it as it was built so that would have been as strong as the original.  But it is now done and it may well be stronger than the original. 

While we are in the area I’ll add a couple of thoughts on other things I see in your pictures.  First, the gammon iron (called iron because in the middle history of gammons they were of iron).  Yours has been cut in half.  It should be replaced with a new one or the old one should be welded back together.  That may require a small filler piece to fill the gap but a good welder can do it.  If you are going to weld the old one back together it may be best to remount the starboard (right) half to hold it in position so that when welded it will fit between the two bulwarks.  I am attaching pictures to help you see what should be (in both of the areas of my picky little dissertation on “The Right Way”).  

The second area of my present discussion concerns that notch in the top of the stem, just under the bowsprit.  The notch may have been there in preparation of a previous owner (who put it there) to mount a new “fiddle head.”  The included pictures show what it should look like “bare” and with the traditional “trail boards.”  As built the fiddle head was put on after the keel, with the stem, was erected on the “building car” and the boat was framed up and planked.  It was attached with a vertical single large dove tail joint.  Ack designed the boat to be in appearance as traditional as possible.  I think he did a good job.  I will be glad to draw a large (well, not that big) rendition than can be scaled and reproduced so that your replacement will look very close to the original.  These heads, called fiddle heads on the short ones and in the Chesapeake long heads, because they are long, are the structural base for the trailboards, which some Newporters do not now have, but I think is a required work of art on traditional boats.  Your choice, of course. 

You are welcome to any further help I can be.  That’s what I am here for. 

Peace,    Clyde

[Britton Moses]

Ah, that explains why the two brackets that make up the gammon iron are not the same length. We were looking at that as kind of odd, didn't know the name of the plate, and didn't know it was supposed to be one piece! We are going to have to repair some rot there on the port side as well, so that bracket is coming off next. The rot isn't nearly as bad on that side, but there is some to get at. So yes, we will definitely replace the gammon iron.

I was also wondering about the notch in top of the stem. I haven't seen any other Newporters with that notch, so didn't know why it was done that way.  I do like the idea of replacing the fiddle head and trailboards.  I would love to see a drawing if you have time.

Thanks!