Bagatell Conversion Update July 15, 2000

One month into the project, much of the necessary demolition on the Bagatell has taken place.  The old deck surfacing, doubler plates, fish hold hatches, winch beds and miscellaneous fittings have been cut away.  We were quite pleased to find the underlying deck in very good condition protected by the deck tiles.  A similar tiled deck will be installed at the end of the project, only red in color to deflect the heat.

Also removed are the net drum, scallop booms, and trawling frames. The entire stern bulwarks are cut away and will be lifted off shortly.  All new steel will be used in it’s renewal.  In the hold, the concrete and foam insulation has been removed as needed, the shaft alley opened up and descaled prior to sand blasting.  Again no significant problems were encountered.  Three of the four fuel tanks have been emptied and cleaned, and are like new on the inside.
In the lazarette all the framing to support the 6 ton A frame has been put in place,
and the 1″ thick steel plate which will insert into the deck as a base has been fitted.

Engine beds are being fabricated to move the existing generator to the lazarette from the engine room.  The wall of the hold will be cut out to pass the old generator out and the new generator in.  The new 65kW generator is due to arrive in about 3 weeks.

Sandblasting of the lazarette, fishhold and inboard deck areas will begin shortly.  At the same time components such as the A frame will be being fabricated off site.  Once the deck area is blasted and primed, framing in of the new lab spaces will begin.