A New Charlie Noble for Ernestina

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association

Ernestina has a new Charlie Noble thanks to a donation from SEMA and the expertise and labor of Dennis Tetrault’s Metal Fabrication and Joining Technologies students at Greater New Bedford Regional-Vocational Technical High School.  They took the old rusted-out part and fabricated a new one.  Here’s how:

As you can see the old part's rough rusty edges were too dangerous to leave on the ship.

The first thing the students had to do was create a pattern from the old part.

The stack has some complicated joints.

Cutting the stock to size.

The saw blade is lubricated to insure no distortion.

The top of the main stack

Grinding the joints smooth

The smoother the joint, the better the weld.

The hole in the cross piece.

the stack and cross piece

Perfect!

Perfect!

Then the baffles have to be fitted to the cross piece. These prevent water from entering the smoke stack.

another perfect joint!

Next ... welding

jigs hold the work in position to insure proper alignment

More grinding to smooth the edges

Benjamin Gilchrest and Justin Bamber did a great job!

Here's the new Charlie Noble in place on Ernestina.

A huge THANK YOU to the students and staff of Greater New Bedford Regional-Vocational Technical High School for making a new Charlie Noble.  We are looking forward to the time you can come for a sail when the ship regains Coast Guard certification.  Your work will show the many visitors during the Charles W. Morgan Homecoming Celebration that New Bedford is proud to be the home port of  Schooner Ernestina, Massachusetts Official Vessel.

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