Watch Leo Goolden as he brings back the 47’ teak-planked TALLY HO to the glorious gaff cutter she was when launched over a hundred years ago in England. This vessel, designed by Albert Strange, lies under a shed in Sequim, WA, that Leo built next to the shop/apartment he rejuvenated—helped out occasionally by Poncho the parrot and Brian the dog.
The backstories, and there are many, can be found on Leo’s website, his Facebook postings, and on the Albert Strange Association’s TALLY HO pages.
In addition, Leo wrote a piece on TALLY HO for SOUNDINGS Magazine – “Tally Ho, Adventure! The Quest to Put a 1927 Fastnet Winner Back on the High Seas”.
August 11, 2018 – Episode 28: Building Boat Frames using Traditional Tree-Nails
August 25, 2018 – Episode 29: Installing New Oak Frames into a 1910 Wooden Boat
Using plywood templates, one for each frame that’s picked up from TALLY HO’s lofted body plan that he so carefully drew, Leo begins making new frames.
They’re in pieces called futtocks that are sawn out of the live oak slabs he harvested in Georgia—a species of wood whose interlocking grain and durability make it the perfect choice for curved futtocks.
Each frame consists of two layers of butted-together futtocks, with their butts staggered. They’re fastened together with wooden trunnels, then hoisted aboard as replacements for the deteriorated originals.
Leo describes making the patterns and figuring out the bevels that are required in order for the planking to fit tightly against the new frames. It’s complicated and may be boring for some viewers—but you can skip this detail if you wish and watch Leo’s ingenuity at work in forming precisely assembled frames from a collection of rough-sawn live oak slabs—a process involving a variety of tools that even intrigues his parrot!
Al Gallant says:
I`m Liking your craftmanship. Your experiences are really shinning. Thanks! keep up the great work. Its great to see that your volunteers have talent also.
Perigrine Barone says:
Trunnels are now very clear in the mind…purpose, how to, pros/cons…Thankyou Leo
Philip Myer says:
Outstanding, I think you guys might want to offer Leo a job after he’s done boatbuilder, he is a talented film maker.
John McCarthy says:
As usual an very very interesting video. I did not find how to calculate the bevels boring so much as difficult to follow. I’m sure a couple more viewings will make it clearer. Absolutely top series.