Shipwrights & Boatbuilders
Project Restoration
Re-Build ~  New Build ~ Repair

 

Updated: 02 August 2009

S130
WW2 Schnellboot S130
WW2 Schnellboot
Preparation & Research
Click on the thumbnail images below to view them at full size.
 
While waiting for the restoration shed to be built work has gone ahead with continued clearing out of the interior of the hull, particularly the engine rooms and tank space, so that we have clear access to the aluminium frames that will need to be replaced.
Engine room 1 - looking aft Post war electrical cabinets Centre line engine beds for the recent MWM v16 Engine room 2

 

During the summer of 2008, A diving operation was carried out on one of five Schnellboote that were scuttled by their crews off the Danish coast at the end of the war. From this we have managed to salvage the armoured bridge, torbedo tubes, the forward gun tub, wing propellers and a few other bits and pieces.
  Diving operations on a scuttled E-boat off Denmark One of the torbedo tubes salvaged from a scuttled S-Boot off Denmark One of the wing propellers Armoured bridge salvaged from a scuttled schnellboot aff the Danish coast  
         
         

Meanwhile preparations are well underway for erecting the restoration shed over S 130 in October.
  S 130 Restoration Shed ~ Columns Erected  
  S130 Restoration Shed ~ Frames Erected S130 Restoration Shed ~ Cladded  

With the shed now erected and the arrival of 40 feet of superb quality oak , sourced by Peter Clark of Timb-A-Haul Ltd, we are making ready for the first phase of work on the hull, replacing the centre section of keel. This phase of the project will commence once the work on Arthur is completed.
    40ft of oak for the keel repair arrives    
February: Making a start on clearing the deck of unrelated, post war, gear and structures, including the wheelhouse from the boats' days as a training and test platform, ready for gathering evidence of 1943 layout.
  Removing the peace time wheelhouse Clearing the decks of unrelated gear Cutting away the peace time towing frame  

March: In between transporting and stowing the engines and fittings from donor boat, the work continued, lifting the foredeck to reveal framework beneath.

Cutting through the fibre resin deck coating prior to lifting the foredeck A sample of the fibre resin deck sheathing which could only be cut with a diamond disc Foredeck framing just forward of the bridge location Part of the uncovered forward gun tub framing Calibration mark for the torpedo sights, found under the deck sheathing forward Evidence of the location of the skylight above the skippers cabin

April: We saw the completion of the work on the donor boat, which we towed up river to her new resting place to become a house boat.

Meanwhile work of dismantling and evidence gathering goes ahead
  cutting away the covers to reveal one of the outboard stern glands A wing shaft outboard stern gland bearing Centre line shaft outboard stern gland and 'P' bracket  

May: Cutting away the outboard centre line stern gland covers

Removing crew cabin top

 Lifting the lower rates cabin top from the boat Soft top removed to reveal the midship tank space and tank space soft top
  Building the lifting gantry Manoeuvring the lifting gantry on to the deck  
Fabricating a lifting gantry to lift tanks and other gear from the boat
    Lifting an oil tank from the aft engine room    
    One of three midships fuel tank being lifted out of the tank space    
  These beer bottles were discovered under the midships fuel tanks, pressed into some strange, and yet to be analysed, gunk  that filled the spaces between floor frames in inaccessable areas of the hull.  
    Beer bottles found pressed into a waxy substance under the fuel tanks ~ One was unopened but undrinkable .... Cheers!    

Removing the rudder quadrant
Tiller flat, showing the original quadrant Main rudder head assembly Rudder head bearing Rudder head bearing
Before getting to grips with the keyed rudder stock coupling
  Starboard trim rudder tiller Trim rudder head Port trim rudder tiller  
Which proved reluctant to part until a custom puller, fitted with a 50t jack, was fabricated  and heat was applied to the problem
Then ......  
  Hey Presto!
The trim rudder heads also required the utilisation of a special puller and jack
S130 has now been jacked up to allow relatively comfortable access under the hull to repair the damaged keel
     
    Preparing to jack up S130 to gain comfortable access to the keel    
and to enable the rudders to be removed
   
  Scraping away some of the ground to clear the main rudder The main rudder successfully removed  
       
along with the wing shaft blanking caps
   
  Pulling a very reluctant bearing Removing the centre line shaft boss  
    S130 jacked up and the rudders removed    
then to gain access to draw the centre line propeller shaft.
Removing the shaft couplings Preparing to draw the centre line propeller shaft Drawing the centre line propeller shaft Propeller shaft successfully removed Counter balancing the shaft while being lifted on to the side loader
While repairing the keel we investigated some damage to the timbers in way of the garboard strake which show  impact from a sharp object, possibly while going astern and swinging to port?
       
Investigation of the damage to the port side below the waterline in way of the No 2 engine room did not show signs of any foot print on the hull planking from a hard object. This is leading us to surmise that this could be damage resulting from an under water explosion. We are now planning the how best to effect repairs to the engine beds, hull and framing.
   
           
 
 

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