Marco Polo Project Gallery

    Here are the latest photos sent to us from Bob Coes, Project Manager taken on November 27th - These latest shots of the planking of the hull of the Marco Polo Replica show considerable progress in the few short weeks since our last posting. We are now down to nine rows. This is where we will leave off till next spring when the weather warms up. The shed is getting too cold for any amount of tool work.
   Be sure to check back often in the coming months, we hope to have lots to show.

November 27/2006
Just click on the pics for larger view.

The first photo in this group is a shot of Lou Doyle and David Hudson (one of our newest recruits) taking a steamed plank out of the steam box. The next shot shows Lou and David getting the plank in position. It will be hung at the bow and begin the eighth row. Bob Coes will assist in the process once he puts his camera down. The third shot shows the starboard plank clamped and wedged into position. The following photo shows the same plank at the bow stem. Here a steel plate is used to apply pressure to the plank where it fits into the bow stem. At this point the bend is in the form of a twist towards a vertical plane where it meets the stem. The next shot of the bow shows both the port and starboard planks clamped at the eighth row.
The following photo is taken from the port bow looking aft. Notice the gentle rise of the planks fore and aft. These lines are designed with the original Marco Polo in mind. Here one can also see the amount of clamping required for each plank. An equal number of pads, blocks, and wedges are needed as well. The last shot for the eighth row is an overall bow photo. This picture gives a good description of the hull shape in the forward section of the ship.
The next eight pictures in this group allow us to get a better look at the planking without the supports and staging. Here we can see the planking hung down to the ninth row. Because of the spacing of the butt joints in the planks one will notice that each subsequent row is shorter at this stage. At such time when the top row is planked all the way to the stern, the other rows will follow. The hull is now at a point where it is beginning to take its finished shape.
The last three shots in this group include a picture of Bob Coes' daughter Jana and her friend Dave Gale; Dave's father Burt; last is Bob Coes, project manager. Burt, Dave, and Jana all dropped by to help finish covering the boat and to dismantle the staging. Lou Doyle helped Bob cover the starboard side a few days earlier.     Bob also wants to acknowledge the growing interest and support in the building of the Marco Polo Replica. We are receiving calls from individuals who are anxious to help with its construction when we start up next spring. Bob is looking forward to their help and to the continued support of the volunteers who have contributed during the past year. Thanks to all those who have helped in some way to get us a step closer to our goal.

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