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.
Hot damn Barry! Great to have seen Idle Queen in the water in real life and online. She looks great. Especially enjoyed those shots of “sailing faster than a jellyfish”. Bernie
Looks great. Harry would be happy!
I like to think so. It’s wonderful to have IQ back in her element.
Barry!! Congratulations!! This has been a long road and now you are feeling success and enjoyment of a job well done. Cant wait to see her sailing. She looks very good. Like a whole new boat.
K and D,
SV Sirocco
Thanks, Kyle! It’s great to be mobile again…
Wow. Looking lovely, especially the shape of that tiller. Great work!
Thanks, Colin! Just got a little sailing hardware to finish, then it’s time to go sailing again.
Barry,
She is gorgeous! You did amazing work! Congratulations on getting her seaworthy again.
I had corresponded with you off and on last year regarding restoring a Dyer Dhow Midget built in 1978. We completed that project in late summer and we decided to display it upright, stern side down in our loft in the home (we live on a lake in N. GA.) We made a few modifications so that the two front seats would hold light décor (ducks, a nice creel, etc. ) The back one already had a side that was readily a shelf. Thanks for all of your input and mentoring, the project actually turned out much better than we ever anticipated!
All the best,
Shauna
Glad to hear that your Dyer turned out so well! The varnish will last a lot longer indoors. 😉 Mine looked very pretty when she was first finished too. I am so glad to hear that you’re happy with the result.