The TERN: Year 1 Restoration

The first year of the restoration began in the summer of 2002 with removal of her mast. The mast turned out to be rotten and unusable. Next she was hauled out of the water only to find she had rot everywhere. The boat yard said she was not salvageable and suggested she was wood so all I had to  take a chain saw to her and put her in a dumpster. That summer was one of total agony on what to do. Every day was discovery of more rotten parts to the boat. I did discover she had a new horn timber and Monel keel bolts. Both these items being replaced allowed me to possibly succeed in her restoration.

My next step was the construction of a large tent with reinforced plastic. While she was in the water tied to the dock her first winter, I jigged the cabin clamp then raised the cabin roof with block and tackle up in the tent out of the way. At that point I began removing the cabin bulkheads, cabin clamp, and carlings. The arrival of spring of 2003 The cabin clam and all deck carling had been replaced. With the hull back in shape she was ready for spring haul-out. The purpose of replacing the cabin clamp was to let the water keep her shape when clamp and deck carlings were jigged and replaced. As soon as a boat is hauled out she changes her shape.

The bridge deck and cockpit were left intact. They would be replaced at a later date. I will let the gallery tell the story of her first winter.