Restoration
April 26, 2004
As Down East bursts with pink, red, and white azaleas, Cherokee enjoys her spring finishing touches. Below shows the Huckins in full regalia. Kerry, after spraying the final clear coating, is unmasking the lettering installed by Sharon, Caroline, and Garrett. Tom Parker is installing wingwall trim, and Bryan and Steve are up top securing the canvas covering. Steve also installed antennas. The rest of the crew is below detailing and doing punch-out trim carpentry. It won’t be long now!
Shaping Up to Ship Out
Climb the stairs and take a look – below left shows the stair treads installed, and to the right is the aluminum structure that the guys from Hancock and Grandsons built, with gray canvas top, sewn by Coastal Canvas, attached.
Stairs with Treads, Fly Bridge Aluminum Framing and Canvas Top
Bryan has been assembling the many layers of sound insulation for the engine hatches – first a layer of 3 inch fiberglass batting, then a quarter inch of loaded mat, and finally another inch of quilted fiberglass batting, all encased in a light weight perforated aluminum housing. Below right Bryan is working on the “ram”, or hydraulic hatch opener for the center hatch.
Sound Insulation for Engine Hatches
Center Hatch Installed
Navigational Map – We are Here
Steve Gilpin got the computers on line, including the navigational software. Above he’s touching the touch screen, pointing out where we are (well, we’re about an inch to the right of his finger). Look how great the channel shows up! This mapping software ranges from the above specificity to broad ranges – Atlantic waters from NC to FL, for example. Below are the wingwalls and doors – the door is closed on the port side, blending in with the curve of the wall, and open on the starboard wall. Tom is shown in the right-hand photo installing wingwall trim.
Wingwall Doors and Trimming
Cherokee received her final survey from clipboard-weilding Bill Gladding of Gladding Marine Surveying in Florida. “This is by far the best Huckins restoration I’ve ever seen,” Bill told Bryan. Guess she passed with flying colors!
Surveyor Bill Gladding Checks it Out