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Old 09-24-2013, 07:21 PM   #12
Troy
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City: Yarram/Port Albert
Vessel Name: Tracey Lea
Vessel Model: 1969 Bob McLaren ex timber trawler
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 120
We arrived at Yaringa boat harbour 19-08-2013 to watch Tracey Lea come out of the water.
It was incident free l had seen it out of the water before purchase, but had forgotten how big she is out
After a Quick clean not that fury she was placed in her new home. didn't take the boys long
and she was sitting there all by her self about 700mm off the ground. Fully propped up not going anywhere finger crossed (ha-ha)
We started to strip her the next day prop off anodes and keel cooling as well.
The sand blasters then arrived and had it done in 5-6 hrs which saved us a heap of work and did a
great job very happy with that. Next out was the fuel tanks in the center hold came out with not to much trouble,
we are changing the steel ones for aluminium truck tanks 4 x 230lts all equalized but with taps to isolate tanks that are not being used to hold diesel
so when were are just bobbing around out the front we may only carry 250lts in the front two tanks leaving back tanks dry, these
will be placed in the E/R outside edges on the wings. this leaving more room in the center hold for the master cabin one day

The set up of Tracey Lea is the engine is mounted in the middle of the back deck not like most trawlers where the engine is
under wheelhouse on forward mounted wheelhouse vessels, not sure if this was normal or why McLarens did this but,
the prop shaft is only about 7ft long overall and makes the center hold massive which is great not much head room
but can change that when new coach house goes on.
Motor, Gearbox, cutlass bearing and prop shaft out for access to ribs also engine beds removed the engine room has nothing
in it except just that room clear open work area. then the gunk and plenty of it cleaned for three days after years and years of bilge build up
but we got there all clean you can see in the pictures some of where the engine just came out and the gunk in the bilge and after the clean big difference.
Two planks off each side about 3m long where removed they had patches in them and the mate hates patches also gave us access to the ribs to date we have around 14 new ribs in
the old ribs never went to the keel the stopped short by about 50mm and relied on the deadwoods every 500 -600mm apart through the boat and the garboard plank for support.
The over all condition of the timber in the boat is spot on good as the day it went in lm happy as a pig in - - - - about that let me tell you.
22 more ribs to go in rib size is 33mm x 65mm. all the ribs are getting replaced in engine room rest look find just check fastenings

Auscan and Tidahapah were spot on in there thoughts about refastening and recalking most of the fastenings in the engine room were shot due to electrolysis.
take the screws we put in and out the rib came with the last screw but that's why we are on the hard for to fix her up new again.
The putty looks in good shape and is hard but nothing behind it caulking all gone and she hasn't opened up much only 1-2mm so what caulking is left its as tight as tight
every seam top to bottom is getting raked out and new caulking 9 ply cotton going back in. Paint to the decks and bow has been removed both sides
some of the gunwales have seen better days even the capping rail is shabby but will concentrate on the hull first capping rail want keep me a float ha-ha
will try and keep on top of this thread and the pics
PS Benn (Tidahapah) will look into your recommendations with norflex and putty. What size steering ram have you got mate travel shaft size please want to change to hydraulic steering
Cheers Troy
Love the email idea steve
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