Albatross aluminium bottom

Our technical section for all matters related to the care, maintenance and restoration of your classic boat.

Moderators: Alacrity, Rapier

Post Reply
maltalbatross
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:29 pm

Albatross aluminium bottom

Post by maltalbatross »

Hi there,

I am currently restoring my Albatross (number 350 I believe) and am baffled at the bottom. I suspect that someone someday has run this boat aground as the P bracket seems to have been snapped off. Where the P bracket connects to the hull there seems to be a "patch" so to speak, I am not sure if this was the way it was intended from the factory or if it was someone's attempt at fixing a bad bottom, I hope someone can shed some light on this. The outer piece is flush with the rest of the bottom and on the inside there is a larger patch over it and a smaller on where the P bracket connects, I have uploaded a couple of pictures so you can see what I am talking about.


http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/1896/img0194n.jpg
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/3637/img0195r.jpg

Tim
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 8:47 pm

Re: Albatross aluminium bottom

Post by Tim »

Dear Maltalbatross,

As far as I can make out, the inside photograph is up side down, the structure inside the bottom, which carries the load of the "P" Bracket has been removed, and one or more dounlers have been fitted to try and stifffen the bottom to carry the load. One of the doublers is still in position, but from all the rivet holes, there would appear to have been more at one time or another.

The strucrure is what a previous correspondent refers to as the "Sub Frame", which consists of a transverse member, called either a "frame" or a "floor" depending your background, which should be riveted between the longitudinals, and through the bottom, and two fore and aft channels, the bottoms of which rest on the bottom, with their ends flanged and riveted to the frame at the fore end and the transom at the after end. The "P" Bracket bolts go up through the bottom and the two channels, where they are nutted up; you have to use a tube spanner!

If you can, bearing in mind what the apparent state of the rivets, and the number of holes in it, I would suggest that you replace the complete existing plate which carries the "P" Bracket, with its internal doubler, and replace it with a new plate, and replace the frame and the two channels inside.

If I can be of help, please let me know, though I am rather tied up in moving house. I could try to take a photo, butmy tank is back in place, so it is difficult to see.

Yours,
Tim

Post Reply