The
original drawings for relatively small boats like
Peggy Bawn, with little likelihood of "after
sales service" requirements, were destroyed by
G.L. Watson & Co., as the press for storage space
became acute in an office that had produced thousands
of drawings, especially for huge steam yacht projects.
So,
one of our first tasks was to meticulously measure
her to create a new
set of drawings, including full size on the loft floor.
At the same time,
and just as carefully, every detail of her construction
was recorded in
data books. This slow process paid off countless times
in the eventual
rebuilding of the hull using the same procedures and
materials used in
1894, and in the reinstatement of as much of the rest
of her as possible.
One
of the most fascinating and sometimes exasperating
elements was sourcing wood of the same quality and
species she'd originally been built with; no easy
task but, with the exception of suitable Rock Elm
for her steam bent timbers, we succeeded. In some
cases we even found better quality material than used
originally, especially the Pitch Pine (Pinus palustris)
hull planking.
With
such high quality materials to work with, our team
of skilled craftsmen, many of whom came together originally
to build the famine ship replica Dunbrody in New Ross,
couldn't fail to be enthused.
