CAMBRIA Restoration Diary: Full Story
Extension to the steel keelson
Later, some barges were built with a steel keelson of several sections riveted together and crudely fastened to the inner stern post and apron. This was the case with Cambria where a 24" x 8" RSJ section was used. It was found that there was no direct connection between the keelson and stern post, so the barge had drooped, a common tendancy called hogging. Before restoration commenced the ends of Cambria were jacked up by around 10" to remove the hogging effect.
The old keelson was found to be badly corroded, so a new one of slightly different dimensions was obtained. As our picture shows, a substantial section of steelwork now forms an extension to the newly welded keelson and is through bolted into the inner stern post and adjacent timbers.
July has also seen the fitting of the new stem and the first steamed planks at the forward end.
