Shed extensions

In 2011-2012 the wyloyard underwent a re-build. The boatyard layout has been re-arranged and the roof and storage areas extended. 

In the 9 years i was away working in SE Asia, the wylo forest  had grown considerably in the dry-wet tropical environment. Also re-starting the boatyard after such a long shut down feels a bit like trying to re-start the  Panguna mine. (Put another way, its far easier to keep going once you start.)

After some planning time, the dry lockable storage extension was to be a 40ft (12m) sea container,  near the end of its serviceable life travelling the worlds oceans. The main shed would have lean-to veranda roofs and one 14ft caravan was to be turned to open up the work space.

One reason for the extensions is to do away with the sheds side-tarpaulins. Tarps on light-frames would be great in a temperate or equatorial latitudes but being in a cyclone belt, i made the tarps quickly removeable, hoisted like sails on two halyards each then guys ropes deployed to neaby trees to hold them out. Mines a long term-part-time build pattern, so had to hoist and lower the tarps every intermitent 2 week visit, to protect them from Sun and wind damage. This system made them last well but takes limited building time up. Once the iron roofs up, tarp worries are over.

Another good reason is to clear all the stuff stored under the hull and convert that from materials stock-piles to work areas.

Clearing and earthworks

Tree felling and clearing began around mid 2011, the worst tree was a fast growing introduced weed-tree called Leukina. Officially introduded as a miracle cattle fodder decades ago,  has broken free of the cattle farms and is now colonising native bushland. The Leukina had grown into about 12m high trees in 10years.! The oldest one had about 6 trunks and was 12m high monster with similar width of canopy. It reproduces prolifically and is very resistant to common herbicides, finally found one at  Elders agricultural that could dispatch the stumps and reshoots. Had a few bonfires ontop of stumps.

Used a Makita electric chainsaw. Made a toppling-direction error in the early days, one of the monsters trunks took its final revenge and toppled onto the wyloshed roof causing damage (later repaired). After that at least two stout ropes were attached high up any tree to be felled to ensure it would land safely in the intended direction, and miss sheds, vans, fences, powerlines etc.

Hired a Bobat and Brett did a good job of levelling old banana circles and creating a U-track for cars right around-through the boatyard. Also spread a few truckloads of "Deco" (decomposed granite) out on the main access driveway and i pruned a few trees so a semi-trailer could get in over the potentially boggy clay soil. He also had a stump grinding device which could attach to the bobcat and made short work of the remaining stumps (like leukina, fire resistant too).

Next stage Brett, also a concreter, made 4 footings pads, leveled, with cyclone-chains embedded for the seacontainer.

Sea-container

It took awhile but found and purchased an old  40ft long high-cube (9ft headroom) sea-container from the Townsville ports container yards.  Shortly after the semi-trailer rolled in with it.  The giant box was side-offloaded exactly onto the 4 square concrete footings with the trailers 2 lifting arms, chains and a handheld remote-control the driver operated. It has a few dings, dints and scrapes but is mostly a solid piece of  engineering.

Good access is important, preferably a straight drive in, mine wasn't and involved a 90 degree truck turn. I though i'd allowed plenty of room but turning circle was a bit tight, so a few logs allowed the semi to drive over a footing to get in..

Container on footings which keep it about 30cm above the ground. Chains are shackled onto each corner to prevent movement in a cyclone.

The dry cyclone-proof storage space was increased many times by this container, enough to handle boatbuilding stores and even household, furniture, vehicle storage  at a fraction of the cost of a permanent shed. The container can be moved or sold off in the future if required. It also doubles as a new far stronger southern wall to the yard (the original fence-wall was blown over in cyclone Yasi in Feb2011). Also theres about a 30cm high space underneath the container to store long pipes, old gutters etc neatly and fairly dry on the ground below it.

Boatshed lean-to extensions.

Saved  paperbark bush poles from the tree clearing work for the sheds upright poles. Paperbarks have high rot-termite resistance and are a strong hardwood. Stripped the bark off (better done green), treated the underground parts with econo termite deterent, augered and dug footing holes 90cm deep and planted the poles in handmixed bush-concrete.(Chain block lifted the heaviest poles, 10" diameter) The ute came in very handy for this, carting one load of well priced 700kg of concrete gravel-sand mix from the Bohle quarry to site, after off loading just add cement from bags and mix in a wheelbarrow. Its far less costly to make small batches of this concrete in a remote site like mine.

A small semi-protected storage alcove/ construction wall was created in the sheds SE corner with an extra ground post and horizontal corrugated iron sheets tek screwed on. It neatened the yards outer appearance, replacing an old shade cloth "wall". Things stay a bit drier and are out of view.

Next stage was to swivel one old 14ft Caravan around 90 degrees. The vintage wheels rolled out of the shed, pumped them up at the local petrol station and didn't even leak, the hubs rotated even after a decade in the elements. Mike helped with moving the van around, which really open up the workshops usable area. Then new cyclone tiedown footings (60cm) were dug, long steel rings embedded in bush-concrete and galvanised turn-buckles with shackles the final connections.

Main workshop area roof.

Framing. Decided to lower the 7m steel truss from its high 1999 position on the south end of the main boat shed. Mike was over and Chain block and come-along mechanical lefting devices help. 1/2"augered through the 12" end poles and bolted the truss into its new lower position. The trusses lower edge is just above wylo deck level, so there's just still room to work on the self-steering gear, and allow the davits to be extended above the workshop roof.

Next 3 long 6x2" or 5x2" beams were set up. The smaller in the middle as the 2nd hand truss had a nice upward bow in it. Augered and bolted together. Electric chainsawed the tops off the bush poles flush with the beams.

Purchased some 7m, 65mm tophat galv-steel roof purlins, from a company with most gigantic steel shed i've ever seen. Umungous gantry cranes loaded heavy Semis with 10 tonne steel beams and their square towering cabs, dwarfed  Jae the ute. Loading laws had gone heavier that i'd expected but just squeezed into the new regulations with  cut down purlins on the utes 2 ladder racks. Time to make up a front bumper-bar ladder rack (had one on the old XY Falcon wagon, to carry long loads) and perhaps try a smaller steel shed next time.

As the lightweight purlins went up realised the old bush-pole shed wasnt entirely square after all, so purlins adjusted accordingly and not noticeable. Bob, a mate down the road, gave me some old roofing iron he had lying out the back half buried in clay soil, jae needed a hose down and so did the sheets. They also needed some doctoring to straighten up. 16ft long, 4 have covered half the workshop area and old tool shed too, dramatically reducing scorching sun heat, rain and water.

The sheets are held down by 40mm tek screws from Boltmasters, Bohle. Got the wrong size at first (50mm) but they exchanged the box for 40mm, thankfully. It right for old style corrugated iron sheets.

Roofing work carried out early morning or late afternoons.



The workshop roof iron is going up. 7 m steel truss on right side. 

The workshop roof iron is up now  Its about 24 ft by 24 ft. It  was well worth the effort,  cool and dry at the workbench area,  the garden shed at left is also covered so doesn't heat up. The shed fence (at back) was also rebuilt to 6 ft high with new post and sheet iron.


Workshop roof from boat.

The western shed extension is now completed! Extra dry shady space. Its built in the same manner as the rest of the shed. Paperbark poles, recycled hardwood 6x2" beams bolted on, new 65 mm tophat purlins and recycled roof iron. Tek screw fasteners. The builders strap makes an X brace below the purlins, builders strap also holds down purlins on corners and edges edges.

Western roof - About 24 ft long and 13 ft wide. Wood-working workshop area (hatches, spars etc). It's also car access to the general workshop area.  The western afternoon sun was previously a  problem, heating the hull up. Now most of the hull is shaded in the tropical afternoons.

The sea-containers also been getting a bit of old fashioned rust chipping, rust-killer (phosphoric acid) and primer treament.



The SE alcove walls are 6ft high. A middle post went in to support the sheets. It keeps some materials semi-sheltered and away from hull.

 

SE Alcove with container southern wall behind.