Right side up!
The whole operation took me 10 hours. I was working alone, with one more person it would probably go much quicker.
I started with installing braces in points when straps will be placed. This is to protect the hull from compression. It is still fragile as there are no gunwales nor thwarts yet.
First step was to lift the hull from building jig. I rigged two chain blocks, each with one ton capacity. Rope on the stem is a backup.
It took a good deal of bunging on station molds to get them loose. Longitudinal members were especially stubborn to leave their molds. Good I did not chose to lift the hull by a bunch of friends: having the hull hanging from chains gave me all the time in the world to drag down station molds and no one was complaining about tired muscles.
Finally the hull could be lifted up to the ceiling.
I have very little space in the boatshed so the building jig needed to be removed before next step.
Molds were sitting with friction fit so getting them lose required a proper hammer and a few wedges.
With molds removed I dragged the strongback out of the shed.
First time I can see my boat’s interior. Still up-side-down.
With the hull hanging free from molds I could install endless-loop straps. Padded to protect the hull.
I lowered the hull onto floor level and replaced beams & ropes with straps.
Circumference of the hull is a bit above 4 meters but the closest strap is 6 meters long. This prove to be too long for my shed (low ceiling) so I had to tie a knot on straps, to be able to lift the boat high enough. With that workaround straps could no longer glide on hooks so instead I had to glide the hull inside straps. Much harder to do.
With the hull in the air I started turning the boat inside straps. It went smooth until the point where the hull hangs almost vertically.
From this position there was no way my body weight could tip the boat’s center of gravity any further. Would there not be these too long straps I would fit blocks so that straps can glide on them easily.
I rigged another rope, to pull one side of the boat in desired direction. Once I finally reached exact vertical position I started lowering her to the floor and there I tipped the balance so that the hull was being turned over by good old gravity.
CarefullyI lowered the hull onto foam pads while adjusting straps all the time. Good dose of muscle power was needed.
Finally she landed the right side up!
Joy to finally see her interior unobscured by station molds.
Evening came as a surprise and I was properly tired. I left Louve hanging from straps.
The work will continue tomorrow.