Back In Her Element

Finally!

It’s been a while, but Idle Queen is finally afloat again after having been taken out for some much-needed refit work. The place where she was propped up in the boatyard for the past few years is now empty. An impression from her heavily-built hull on the wooden blocking is all that remains to show that she was there for so long. 

 

 

 

There are many details left to attend to, but much on IQ has been renewed since the last time she floated.  A couple of feet of each side of the hull was removed and rebuilt stronger than before where water had found its way into the core. She has new chainplates of 316 stainless to transfer loads from her new standing rigging down to the hull. New wires carry charge to and from her new batteries. Fresh varnish gleams on her new bowsprit and boomkins. New Sampson posts of white oak secure her bow lines. All the port lights were removed and re-bedded. She has a new cabin heater and stove. The rotten parts of her rubrail were replaced. Old through-hulls were removed and the hull renewed where they once were. All her plumbing was replaced, with improvements made where things didn’t quite work as intended. The bow rollers were strengthened and a massive manual windlass installed. The cockpit was removed and re-bedded. This list would become tedious if I listed all of the little things that I have repaired or replaced during this refit. IQ seems happier now.

It’s good to have her afloat again.