I can't believe how fast Ibis metamorphosis is happening! Two years ago she was not floating, most of her planks, gardboard and keel were rotted and, well, you saw the image in my first blog and the state she was in. During these two years time became bi-dimensional, the restoration plan was enormous and we felt like it would never end. However progress was happening all the time, Ibis hull was deconstrucuted piece by piece, than straightened, then supported whilst Graham, Chris and Bill were fitting new frames and fixing many others. At that stage we could see the whole boat and how Percy Mitchell went about building her. The thickness of the sawn oak frames, how they would meet were butts joined and double up for strength, the tightness of her planks were no caulking was needed in her orginal construction. Let alone the sturdy shape and full lines of this Mevagiassey lugger, built for the Channel waters and to carry over two tonnes of fish and six crew. It pleased everyone who worked on her to discover such a solid structure. At least for what concerns traditional wooden boats, we can always take example from the best of the past without having to invent a new science of boatbuilding. And now, fast forward to the present, here she is, like a chrysalis in the last stage of dormant fullness preparing for the final metamorphosis to happen. We are trying to finish a thousand jobs and every day Ibis is a step closer to the water. It is a stressful period and also one that we relish and find hard to let go as the end of an incredible adventure. During the month of May Ibis will touch the water again and like a butterfly, spread her wings. We aim at re-launching her this month but albeit it being a massive milestone, it is another step in her metamorphosis. After the -relaunch there will be the masts stepping, the rigging, the sail trials etc..so that we progress ticking jobs off the list. With boats no work is ever finished, there is always a next step ahead.
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