Saturday 20 October 2012

The fishing boat Otterdam gets a repair job

Otterdam is one of the once many wooden vessels we had in the cape, such boats were built in many yards and right up as far as Namibia, known as the south west. One such boat was (still is) the South West Seahawk, German built and to a very high standard, she and her sister boats were known to be both fast and stong. South West Seahawk was to be a sail training ship, the rigging plans are with me now but it never found the funding, the boat is still in Hout Bay Harbour?

Below is the Otterdam.


She has a L 1234 code on her side, plus a CTA number 301 TP, so she is a Cape Town boat. The work is being done in Hout Bay, I do not think the slip time required  can be found in Cape Town these days?


Re planking, the wood will be Keruing, a heavy hardwood from the Philipines.Known for its long lengths and stability, it steams very well too.

More pics just now, the morning tea is ready! Five Roses tea bags of course, one bag makes two cups of tea with ease,so two bags to a warmed porcelain pot makes five cups!


 


This is a very big job, the cost to the wood alone will set the owners back plenty.


 Looks like they have steel bands bolted through at the stem.


The other end, thats quite a small rudder for such a large and heavy vessel.


This is the heat exchanger for the engines fresh water cooling fluids, note the zinc anode to protect against corrosion.

All pictures  taken by R McBride


Click the link to see what may have been the last large fishing boat built in Cape Town by Louw and Halvorsen?

Roy