Boat Project Overview

We are still trying to figure the best route to get from Hoskins to our village. Right now the airstrip we were planning to fly into is closed down. Hopefully it will open ui before then and we can use it. If not we will plan to fly to Rabaul/Kokopo and take boats over. If the seas are not cooperating we will fly to Kavieng and hire a car to drive 7 hours down the island. Either way we will get there, but you can be praying for God to work out the best route.

Our time in the tribe will be limited. We have a lot of work for you to do. Most of the projects are small: replacing termite eaten wood, fixing doors, replacing louvers, sealing cracks, house repairs.

The big project is the boat. I will give you some details, so that if you can do any research o the best way to go about the project, you will have some information. I also tried to get some pictures which are on the cd (the boat was up-side-down so the interior pictures are not the best_ but I will try to get more and send them by email), We were given a fiberglass banana boat. It is 23' long and b' wide at the widest point. The body of the boat is in good condition, but when we got it the floor was rotting away (it was wood and fiberglass. We ripped out the floor exposing the bottom of the boat (still in good condition with rib bracing for the floor every couple of feet.

We are wanting to put a new floor in. My thoughts at this point is get 1/4 treated plywood an( lay it over the ribs (and under side bracing that is every 5') and then cover the whole thing in fiberglass. (I can get all the materials mentioned above in country.) We are wanting to put it a motor with a center consul for steering. We have an old center consul which will need some fixing up but will work. Here are some other areas that we want done, but are not sure how. We were told that under heavy waves with an 85hp motor on the transom that the transom bowed some and appeared weak. It appears to be fine, but may need reinforced somehow. I do not know if it be reinforce too rigidly and possibly cause more potential problems or not. The original floor went back to the transom and the drain was under the floor and accessed from outside the boat on the back. I would like to make the new floor so one rib short of the transom and put a drain plug in from the inside. We are also wanting some boxes built into the boat for putting boat tools and our bags when we travel. Boxes with hinges and latches rust and corrode very quickly. My idea was to have a hard plastic of fiberglass box attached to the boat with a lid that would cover the top of the box (and seal it from splashes) with holes to be able to put paddle locks on each side (similar to a rubbermaid tote like the last work team brought over). We would like the boxes to be strong enough to work as benches for people to sit on. Overall layout and plan is up in the air. If any of you have experience or know of someone who does we would be open to it.