Removing and Replacing Thwarts.

Frank Bethwaite

The removal of damaged thwarts and their replacement is a routine procedure. Remove eight bolts, separate the glueline which joins the envelope to the spigot with a sharp chisel inserted from the bottom, and remove. Reverse to replace. Trimming to an exact fit takes time.

Re carpet padding. It is essential to use a long-knap carpet, as the long knap suppresses all turbulence. If, for example, you were to use felt, it would pad the centreboard, but water would shoot ten feet high when you were really moving.

Any carpet with a hessian backing will rot in two to three years. We use a nylon bathroom carpet which has a plastic base, and glue it in with contact cement. Nothing rots, nothing seems to deteriorate. If it is necessary to remove the carpet for some repair, it has to be chiselled out even after five years..