A New Sword for “Zwaantje”

From the skippers of the “Zwaantje,” Oude Haven, Rotterdam.

“We (Fay and Mickey) discovered during our dry docking that one of our keels had quite a bit of rot. Thanks to Niko’s (Hoogstad Scheepstimmerwerk) sharp eye (and sharp knife), we discovered that the worst part was hidden beneath the fittings. Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken the centerboard apart to restore it. We were able to reuse most of it; the top plank had to be replaced, and we milled out a few rotten sections and filled them in again with a wedge. Then came endless planing and sanding. Today, the centerboard is reasonably reassembled (HOORAY!) and we can get to work on the fittings. Welding and… riveting! Then we’ll preserve it and, hopefully, hang it back up on the port side of ‘t Zwaantje before the new year. Come check it out!”