January 25,2021

We’ve shown different steps in building and installing the table in the saloon, and thought we would bring everyone up to date now that it’s done. The table top is in three sections, and is newly made of mahogany after the old table top proved to be beyond repair and restoration. We chose some cross-cut (crown-cut) lumber that would complement the patterns in the highly figured original mahogany interior walls. At the moment, it is still a lighter tone than the original wooden walls in the saloon, but over time we think it will eventually be a seamless match.

The rest of the table—the base, the metal gimbal parts (above) and the box for the lead weight—is all original, as is the 35 kilograms of lead inside the box. The metal is brass that was sent off to the UK to have the nickel plate stripped and replated. Below is a better view of the weighted box that swings to keep the table top horizontal.

The wood grain in the mahogany table top.

Next door, a lot of progress has been made in the galley. Hashimoto is making the final adjustments in the installation of the oven range. Like the table in the saloon, the oven range is also gimballed (below) to stay horizontal.

Some blog readers might remember from an earlier entry that Cynara (or Gwendolyn as she was known at launch) originally had an iron, solid fuel stove with a chimney that rose up through the skylight  over the galley. The chimney is no longer necessary, but its why the galley skylight has such a wide central piece. The old gutters under the window frames next to where the stove pipe was at one time were slightly blackened.

Hashimoto is also making a ventilated shelf that fits over the microwave oven, and lets the heat dissipate.

Tatsumi has been making cupboard doors, which are mostly complete and waiting for varnishing, handles, and latches.

The stainless steel sink is in as well, so the space is is really starting to look like a galley.

In the captain’s cabin, Kawashima is building a small cupboard over the bed. It’s a more compact version than the original (below). Though it is very old, we think it was retrofitted at some point. It was cut through to fit around the beam, which made it weak, so we’re making the new one fit in the smaller space.

January 13,2021

 Yokokawa, Fujita and Saito were preparing for the next day’s sailing.

Wada is teaching crew-member Fujita how to varnish. Build-up coats offer a good opportunity for learning, but it is a skill that takes time to master. The top coats are done by the more experienced members of the team.

Hashimoto and Pascal worked on the galley. The woodworking of the shelf is being done by Hashimoto, while Pascal focuses on processing the stainless steel plate that goes around the microwave oven and deflects heat away from the woodwork and the hull.

January 16,2021

The team had a meeting to discuss hanging the doors, which have been refinished and are ready for the rest of the mortice locks, handles, roses and escrutcheons to be fitted (below).

January 17

Tatsumi begam making doors for the cupboards in the crew head.

Hashimoto is preparing to install the microwave oven in the galley.

Kawashima is working in the captain’s cabin, lining out a small locker under the bunk and fitting drawer runners.

Paul is working on the shower room doors, the last big component to be fitted in the stateroom showers.

January 9,2021

Cynara’s doors are all original and are being fitted back into their original frames. As the ship lost its shape over the years, doors sometimes stuck shut or refused to close. Those doors would then be cut or have their edges planed so they would still function. In some cases, the alterations were quite extreme. The door in the photo was missing a lot of material from the lock side, as it had been planed down to repair a distorted frame. To straighten this edge for the now square frame, the mortice lock needed to be fitted deeper into the door. This required slightly changing the position of the handle and key hole. Old mahogany salvaged from other parts were used and new holes cut in the correct position. The handle rose and escutcheon, when fitted, will cover most of the repair but using old mahogany means that there will be a good color match. In the end, the repair should not be too visible.

Wada applies a final coat of varnish to the deck tables

The end of the day, with Mt. Fuji on the horizon.

January 10,2021

Hashimoto installed flush ring pulls for lifting hatches in the passageway sole, allowing access to the bilge area.

January 11

Saito installed non-slip material to protect the tableware from rattling and getting scratched in the saloon cupboards.

Tatsumi was checking the cupboard doors in the galley.

The engine room bulkhead is exposed behind the main deck house steps, and teak is used to close the gap behind the steps. Paul is installing soundproofing in the space between to muffle any potential engine noise into the deck house. The sound proofing is hidden behind the steps that lead out to the deck.

January 4,2021

Kawashima is making final adjustments to the drawers under an aft cabin bunk.

Tatsumi and Hashimoto are working together to prepare the original guest cabin doors for refitting. Here they are making a pattern of the frame to check against the door in the workshop.

Pascal is examining the old frame of the rudder pointer at the helm, which is a brass frame with a Perspex cover. The frame was crudely made and asymmetrical. We decided that being such a great original feature in such a prominent position, it deserved better, so Pascal is making a new bronze frame with a glass cover.

January 6 ,2021                  

Paul started installing the door of the shower room, after hanging some vinyl to control the dust from spreading to the finished cabin.

Tatsumi and Pascal are working on the plumbing for the sink unit in the crew head.

January 7,2021

Wada and Koiwai are preparing the underside of the deck table for varnishing.

Kawashima and Tatsumi continue to install doors, which means cutting and fitting locks, keeps and handles for every cabin door. A real gale was blowing today, making it difficult to do detailed work as the ship pitched and rolled in the swell.