Day 31

Today we decided to repair the hoist car. It wasn't moving very well as the rollers were binding up against the sides. Also the hoist hook was sliding back and forth pulling it off center. After welding in some supports on the sides and top, the rollers could turn freely. (Pic below) On the bottom we used a short peice of large chain attached to each end of though bolt, then hung the hoist from that. At last it works!
Gena repairing the hoist-car	We then placed the large radius plate on the other side, clamped it in and marked for cutting. As the forward edge had to be a vertical cut, ( so it could butt against the forwardmost plate already mounted ) we marked it and once back down on the ground, and used a flexible ruler curved to be parallel with drawn line. This way the cup on the plasma cutter could be run along the edge of the ruler for a nice clean cut.
We only needed to lightly grind it off, and it fit the other piece as if it were cut from it. Once again we pulled in the plate and it didn't really want to go. We eventually got them both in using a comealong, many clamps, and lots of patience. On one side we noticed along the top was buckling as we hadn't put in any tacks along the stringer there. That will be watched carefully from here on in as it caused a distortion in the plate that will have to be straightened out before the flat plating goes on. Also we had to use the other come-along to pull down the bow stem, as it started lifting, likely due to the pulling up of the plate. This, hopefully, should remedy itself once we have moved further along. To remedy the coned joint situation from Day 30, we cut out the welds in the center, tacked on some scrap flat bar to pull in the forward plate also, pulled it in, and tacked to stringer. ( See the flat bars near bow area tacked on in pic below ) After the two opposite radius sections were pulled in, the bow stem distortion straighted out. One really has to go out and around the hull to check for problems from time to time, as they sneak up on you, and sometimes they make no noise at all!
Clamping on plate and pulling in with come-along

Day 31:
9.5 hours
Put on 4th radius plate and repaired 3rd. Looking good! Fixed hoist-car problem.