Marco Polo Project Gallery

    Here are the latest photos sent to us from Bob Coes, Project Manager taken on Oct. 19th - Project Manager, Bob Coes, and his volunteers have had another busy season with the construction of the Replica of the Marco Polo. As mentioned in the June article, preliminary work in the area of steel supports and the fairing of the frames in the stern were the first order of business.Soon to follow was the planking on the sides as well as the stern area of the hull. The planking in these areas was the main focus of construction this season.
   Plans and materials were put in place for the upper decks. This included a detail working drawing for the deck beams and their assembly as well as the lumber for the deck beams, sheer clamps, and stanchions. The master deck beam pattern has been constructed as well as the assembly of the sheer clamps for the main deck. Since this deck is over 40 feet long, the 2x6's were scarfed together to make one single continuous member. Each member is made up of three separate pieces. Needless to say, there are always considerable "behind the scene tasks" that must be seen to to insure progress with as few delays as possible.

    Bob and his volunteers are extremely pleased and proud of what they have accomplished so far. More work on the ship will begin again next spring. It is expected that the exterior will be completed by the summer of 2008. This will include the hull, deck, and deck houses. There is considerable work left to do to achieve this goal. However, with planning, hard work, and a little luck that goal is within reach.
    Bob wishes to acknowledge and thank the volunteers who came down to #8 shed week after week to work on the replica.
Don Bangay, Mark Brideau, Lino Celeste, Larry Cosman, Lou Doyle, Jim Henderson, Ken Sparks, Ken Steele, Eric Thorne, Gerald White
   It should be noted that these men generally worked the same "day" each week. This type of schedule provides flexibility, but at the same time presents a challenge in that we have different volunteers each day of the week. This demands a high level of cooperation - to be able to pick up where someone else left off the day before. This is not always easy to do. A special THANK YOU to all of these gentleman for their much appreciated contribution to the Marco Polo Project. I look forward to working with you all again next year.

Bob Coes Project Manager

   Tom Creamer and Barry Ogden will be busy all winter raising funds and anyone wishing to contribute should contact them as funds will be needed to keep the project moving ahead.

October 19/2007
Just click on the pics for larger view.

The first photo shows Jim Henderson fairing the frames near the stern in preparation for planking.	The next photo shows how rapidly the frames change shape. It is important that the frames are faired accurately so that the planks fit well when hung.
This photo shows the port side from bow to stern. Note the smooth rise of the sheer line as it continues under the counter.	This is a shot of the main deck looking forward. Here one can see the 40 foot sheer clamp lying on the 2x4 supports awaiting installation on the ship's frames.
The next shot shows the starboard sheer clamp.
This is a photo of the starboard side looking aft. Here it is easy to see the fine lines towards the stern post below the waterline and how they broaden out as they rise to the transom area.	This is a close-up of the lines in the stern and the amount of overhang and breadth of the ship as the frames rise. The next shot is a similar view on the port side.
In this stern shot we can see that most of the planking has been completed on the underside. Next we see that several of the transom planks have been fitted for installation at a later date. They help to enhance the appearance of the stern where the various surfaces meet.
The next three photos above further describe the fine details in this part of the ship.
The deck beam shown in this shot is set up on a pair of saw horses. This one is the master pattern to be used for the layout of all the deck beams for the upper decks. It is designed on a 3 inch camber over a 13 foot span. The beams will be assembled in pairs on each set of frames.	Looking aft on the port quarter the dramatic change in the shape of the frames is most apparent. The width at the top of the photo is just over 12 feet while at the stern post directly below it is only 6 inches.
This photo with Bob Coes standing next to the stern presents a good relationship with respect to the size of the replica at approximately 1/3 that of the full size Marco Polo. The waterline is just below where the horn timber and the stern post meet.
The next three photos give a good overall view of the appearance and progress thus far.
The last photo includes a display of posters that represent most of the sponsors and contributors for our Replica of the Marco Polo. Their support and contributions are greatly appreciated.

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