BIOGRAPHY
Michael Bera is the boat builder featured on this web site. He is a retired Naval Officer who has spent the last 10 years as a cabinet maker and as a boat builder. He started building boat models while in the Navy as boat building has been a lifelong ambition. To date he has built one 24 foot Racing Sailboat, one Canoe, a ½ scale Newfoundland Skiff Wherry and a full size 19 foot Newfoundland Skiff Wherry. Photos of these can be seen on this web site in the Gallery Tab. As of 1 December of this year (2010) he has begun restoration of a 26 foot Cheoy Le (Frisco Flyer III). Actually, to say restoration may be mis-leading since the boat he is working with was obtained after having been completely stripped by previous owners. There is not enough of the original yacht left to use to restore. Instead this project will be a complete re-build. Hence, flip-your-boat, jargon is appropriate. In general, the project will be as follows:
1. Finish stripping out all existing remnants of bulkheads, old paint and old fiber glass.
2. Sand and prepare all interior surfaces
3. Coat all interior surfaces with resin then paint
4. Close all un-necessary thru-hull openings
5. Install gunnels, Deck trusses, Bulkheads
6. Build and Install interior furnishings
7. Build and install Head, Galley and Navigation Station
8. Install electrical system
9. Install plumbing system
10. Build and install Cabin Sole
11. Build and install Cockpit
12. Install Deck
13. Install motor
14. Install Standing Rigging
15. Scrape and prepare Exterior Hull for Painting
16. Paint Hull exterior and Water line
17. Marine Paint below water line
18. Registration, and safety inspection
19. Test sail
20. Final preparation details
There will, no doubt, be many additional steps which will be discussed as they arrive. This project will be documented with verbage and photographs on the “On-going Projects” tab. It is hoped other amateur boat builders will gain some knowledge from perusal of this web site.
