July 12, 2020

Today, we had a quick meeting to go over the upcoming schedule. Priorities are made, but we have to juggle jobs depending on the weather and other conditions.

Today, the weather was sunny for the first time in a while, and Kawashima, Saito and Paul worked on the deck, installing more of the chafe strips and rub rails. There are quite a few of these to do.

The old drawers were placed under the bunk in the midship starboard cabin to check the fit before restoration.

Today’s interior decoration situation. This cabinet has been installed and is awaiting the drawers which are being worked on in the tent. The weather forecast calls for more rain tomorrow. Ugh.

July 14, 2020

Pattresses (wooden boards for mounting fittings) for the many cabin lights are being cut and sanded.

It was raining again today, so Paul and three other carpenters were stuck in the tent. It’s looking empty and quiet compared to two weeks ago, when the whole team was still here and it was a beehive of activity.

Makoto is varnishing the interior windows in the aft starboard cabin. These look out onto the deckhouse floor, and will have translucent glass installed for privacy, while letting much appreciated daylight into the cabin.

July 4, 2020

Most of the non-Japanese team members left Japan at the end of last month. The team now consists of Paul leading the Japanese carpenters and Chuck leading the crew in a sail training program.

These drawers have come out of storage after being selected for restoration. Others have stayed in storage and will not be used. Now we are working out which ones go where, and there may be some of these that end up not being used as well.

These bronze “chafe strips” or “rub strips” are installed on the stanchions that have a naval brass bar through them for securing ropes. They’re fitted where the rope rubs against the stanchion which would bite into the teak over time. They had to be installed even while sail training was taking place because it has been raining so much this year.

Toshi is fitting drawer slides and divisions under the bunk in the midship port cabin.

The entire interior is covered in translucent plastic sheets as the painting continues before doing all the finish work on the furniture. A second coat is being painted on the deck beams in the crew quarters, on top of the chain locker. The pipes in the foreground are the chain pipes.

July 7, 2020

Japanese carpenters are working on the interior following Paul’s direction. The precipitation during this rainy season has been heavier than most years, and the work schedule often has to be changed because of the weather situation.

Another painting scene, this one of the galley ceiling.

The air conditioning pipes are being installed and it’s just in time. The rainy season is coming to a hesitant end and temperatures are starting to rise with clearer skies. There’s still a lot to do on the interior and it would be stifling work without the air conditioning.

Tuesday, June 9

The day started early, with Paul gathering all the Japanese craftsmen for a progress meeting (below). He covered all the various tasks that need to be done, and made a schedule leading up to the launching ceremony.

Murata applies varnish to the mizzen boom crutch (top and above). The leather, where the boom will rest, is covered in leather, stretched to shape and held with copper tacks.

Kakimoto fits the boxes that go between the deck beams and cover the tops of door frames and panels. The boxes look like continuations of the deck beams, and are a convenient space to hide wiring.

Massa has been working in the galley but the galley will have to wait as he turns his attention to the bathroom unit tops.

Kawashima fits a false beam in the main saloon. This serves the same function as the other boxes fitted between beams (see above) except this one runs across the ship instead of fore and aft. You can see the wiring that will eventually be hidden in the false beam.

Monday, June 15

Today was the first of many sail tests and full-scale training runs for the new Japanese crew. Under the guidance of Chuck and Nat, Shindori, Yokokawa, Saito, Tanaka, Fujita, Kawashima, Murata, and Pascal boarded for training. In the morning, it was extremely hot and almost windless, but as the sails went up afternoon, a good breeze picked up and Cynara began her first sailing voyage in many years. The wind was perfect and Chuck kept her on a straight course at first; for a while it seemed they would cross Sagami Bay. Then they turned back and returned to the marina in the late afternoon. Chuck was very pleased with the training.

Wednesday, June 17

The galley worktop takes shape. The space for the stove is almost ready to fit the stainless steel lining which will make keeping the area clean, easy and practical. The galley worktop is made in African mahogany but the cupboard fronts are in Honduras to match the guest areas.

The original pantry that was here before would have been very plain. But modern galleys are often used by owners and guests and so need to be of a similar quality to the rest of the guest areas.

A touch screen is fitted on the galley wall next to the door leading to the guest accommodations. This will allow the crew to monitor the ships systems, air conditioning and lighting without disturbing guests.

Friday, June 19

It rained all day today from morning, so it’s good to still have the tent for use as a workshop. John applies shellac to one of the fixed dressing seats that will be in the staterooms. The panels are ventilated as air conditioning units will be placed inside. These are all made in solid mahogany and traditionally joined.

Tuesday, June 23

Shingo and Murata are applying Danish oil to the hull ceiling in the crew quarters area. This “ceiling” is planking that goes against the inside of the frames, sealing off the interior from the hull. It was first used in the tea clippers that brought tea from China, to keep their precious cargo dry. Any moisture that makes it through the hull is stopped in its tracks by this “second skin.”

Work is continuing on the washbasins . . .

. . . and the saloon. Pascal and Ian are working on an A/C unit that is concealed inside the main saloon couch.

Tuesday, May 26

Prior to the sail tests, Chuck, as head of the rigging team (above), has been going over all the knots and attachments on the masts, booms and sails (below).

We’re getting close to the final days of the restoration. Protecting the deck and floors is a paramount concern. The mats are changed periodically to make sure nothing is trapped underneath that might scratch or dent the surface. The floor covers and furniture protection will not be removed until everything is completely finished. Everyone has to remove their shoes to keep the interior clean. Louis and John (top) have been among those working on the mahogany interior paneling.

Paul is explaining to the hatch cover maker the system that holds the covers on. We’re using the original system that involves a threaded plate fitted to the hatch with a knurled screw through holes in the covers.

Nat is cleaning the winch button rings, which prevent activating a winch by accidentally stepping on the buttons. This could be extremely dangerous if the winch is under load.

A mock-up of the mizzen boom scissor crutch in the workroom tent. The finished crutch will be placed under the mizzen boom to support and secure it and the gaff when not in use.

Wednesday, May 27

Mattis is working on a new dresser unit (top and middle) that will be used in one of the guest cabins. The original was missing, so this had to be newly made. The drawers (above) belong to another unit that goes in the owner’s cabin. These, along with the rest of the unit, are all original.

In the galley, the electrical wiring is being installed, and the frame for the stove is in the building process. The stove uses a gimbal so it will be able to tilt with the movement of the boat.  The frame shown here is a mock-up of the stove unit to make sure the tilting action will have enough space to swing.

Nat is working on all the details that go into the running rigging and main stays.  Just as with the woodwork, the detail, all done by hand, is astonishing.

Saito is polishing Cynara’s metal parts. Keeping the parts clean and well-oiled is part of the maintenance that Japanese members of the team are learning to keep Cynara ship-shape for years to come. It is a constant and never-ending job.

Thursday, May 28

Billy is preparing the anchor locker in the prow, where the chain will be stored when the anchor isup. He’s lining the locker with rubber to protect the wood from the heavy chain.

Monday, June 1

Chuck and Nat do a lot of preparation before each step of installing the rigging.

Richard is doing the inboard framing of the portholes.

The anchor chains consist of two lengths of 115 meters each. Saito is attaching markers at 10-meter intervals prior to loading them on Cynara.

Tuesday, May 19

 Nat is reinforcing the main sail (above and below). The plan for setting up the main sail calls for a day with no rain and little wind, so the riggers are watching the weather patterns very closely.

Paul is building a hollow panel that will take the wiring for the navigation electronics. The panel will separate the navigation area from a light and ventilation box in the cabin below.

Billy is making removable panels that will hide the electrical panels that have been installed in the backs of cabinets. The breakers and other parts of control systems are hidden, but have to be accessible for maintenance.

Thursday, May 21

Today Cynara left the quay for the first time, on a short trip around Koajiro Bay to check the engine, rudder, and drive train. Chuck and Nat completed their rigging work in the morning (top), while Paul and Ben were checking everything up until the last minute (above). The engine trials today included running the engine at low, medium, and high revolutions to check oil temperatures and ensure there are no issues with the system as a whole. This is done in forward and reverse to check that the propeller is feathering correctly. Some basic turning maneuvers were done to check that the rudder and steering mechanisms are all working as expected.

It was the first time she’s been untethered to land since the restoration began, and it was a beautiful sight. It was a great opportunity for the helmsman to get the “feel” of the boat and to take notes on her turning circles, hull speed and different engine revolutions.

The trip was a big success, with no issues. The boat performed well and everything ran smoothly. Some of the team had joking said that it was traditional for lots of beer to be drunk after a sea trial. (in Europe, the crews find many excuses to drink beer on the dock after tying up, stowing the rig, and a wash down. It’s not so much a tradition as a habit.) Mr. Watanabe surprised everyone by bringing several cases of beer and leading a toast to the success of the trial.

Friday, May 22

 Nikki is putting the final touches on the leather boot that goes around the mast base, covering the wedges that hold the mast in the deck. This is the kind of detail—a touch of natural elegance—that is making Cynara a quality restoration.

John is shellacking some of the interior furniture. Many interior parts can be shellacked in the work tent and then installed. But there are quite a number of parts that can only be shellacked after installation, and the limited space adds difficulty to the task.

 Because most of the recent interior work is being done on visible parts, it feels like the pace has quickened. The windows of the deckhouse are in place (top), and the galley and pantry (above) are starting to take shape.

Monday, May 25

Kawashima has finished restoring the mount for the compass. (You can see it in an earlier state in the blog entry of March 17.) A wooden ring at the top has been added, allowing us to use a new compass binnacle. The original is very worn and the metal has worn through from years of polishing. It has also taken some knocks and lost some of its shape. We’re hoping to get the original restored and eventually installed on this pedestal; meanwhile, we’ll use a compass binnacle that—while not as old as the original—is not new. But it’s a close fit and should do until the original is restored.

Now Kawashima has started restoring the main deckhouse stairs that lead from the deck to the deckhouse.

The mizzen sail was raised for the first time today. The color of the sails and the hand-sewn stitching was something impossible to replicate in Japan. The subdued beauty of the sails goes perfectly with the design of a classic yacht like Cynara.

Friday, May 8

Ian is assisting with the wiring. It’s a massive job, given all the new equipment that needs electricity, and very time consuming.

Chuck and Nat are going back and forth between Cynara and the tent, preparing to attach the boom to the main mast.

Monday, May 11

Lewis (top photo) is working on the hatches that are placed in various places in the sole boards. These are made to gain access for inspection, repair and to check the bilge. They are very practical, but have to be made with the same care as the other parts of the boat so as to be inconspicuous. They are made in various shapes and sizes (above).

On deck, varnishing continues. As the days are getting hotter, the varnish dries faster, so it is a race against time.

Tuesday, May 12

Mattis is working on the mast wedges that secure the base of the mast and keep it central in the deck (as there is a lot of flex in the mast). Self-amalgamating tape will be used for waterproofing, and a leather boot will them be wrapped around the base of the mast.

To make it fit perfectly, it must be made section by section, carefully measuring each piece.

The flooring of the saloon is almost complete.

Thursday, May 14

The weather this week has been clear and sunny most days, so a lot of work on deck is getting done. Mattis is finishing installing the wedges around the base of the masts—adding a layer of polyvinyl acetate (PVA, or wood glue) to the end grain of the wedges to slow down the drying process. They are exposed to the air and sun, and drying too fast would cause them to shrink and/or crack. The glue blocks the pores in the wood, helping it to preserve its natural oils and water.

Kawashima is following Nat’s direction in making the shadow boxes for mounting the navigation lights on the stays on each side of the mast, elevating the lights above the deck to keep them clear of other rigging and to give them greater range of visibility. He is holding a pattern that is being used to make the final boxes, a section that will be painted black so that the navigation lights can be seen from the proper angle by ships in the area. The lights are green, red, and white, and each has its particular direction.

Chuck and Nat installed the boom on the main mast today. Some thought we’d have to use a crane, but Chuck planned to use a halyard to raise it, and it worked perfectly. The gaff and the main sail will be installed next week.