Restoration
Restoration Update Photos
July 1 - The most recent activity has focused on gathering needed materials, particularly wood, and determining the best path to follow to get the center section of the hull realigned so that the left side no longer sags lower than the right by roughly 1".
It may not look like there has been much progress but Pancho has also been evaluating the ease of use and effectiveness of two different types of epoxy, and has met with the manager of a Spokane lumber yard to research the availability of white oak, plywood, and other types of wood that will be needed for the project. - Stephen Shepperd
Limited number of Booster Buttons still available
May 7 - Steve Compton flew up from the Tri-Cities to look at the Miss Spokane hull and offer suggestions to Pancho about how he might proceed with the project and to discuss the needed materials to effectively restore the hull.
Steve brought examples of the types of woods that he and the 1955 Miss Thriftway replica team used to construct that boat. I have included a collage of the wood samples that he carried in his cardboard box to show Pancho. It shows an example of the process of laminating white oak and spruce to create a strong yet lighter weight board ate used and evidence from one boards used in constructing the Miss Spokane that shows the same process was used roughly 69 years ago when the boat was built by Les Staudacher and his team. - Stephen Shepperd
March 28 - Poncho and Tim drove over to Chelan to deliver the Rolls Royce Merlin crankshaft. Mitch will send it off to get it “tuned up”. Poncho brought a piece of wood out of the Miss Spokane hull.., very intriguing how the hull was assembled.
March 14 - New hull support fixture built by Pancho Simonson
This hull-support fixture is made of dry and stable recycled lumber. It supports the engine stringers, as when the boat was originally constructed. The hull will be laser-leveled and shimmed straight. The main support beams were the original floor timbers from Kent Simonson’s cabinet shop in Spokane
March 8, 2025 - Meanwhile...over in Chelan...Mark and Mitch Evans have sorted through all the Merlin parts and boxed up the extras for storage.
March 3, 2025 - Stephen Shepperd and Pancho Simonson give us a tour of Pancho's shop in the Spokane Valley where Pancho is working on the overturned center section. Use arrow to scroll and click images to enlarge.
February 20, 2025 - Mark Evans photos of Mitch Evans with Miss Spokane's Merlin engine.
Mitch mounted the engine block onto the roll over stand. The center main bearing is damaged. It needs to be sent out to be welded and “line-bored”
Roll over stands are mandatory to be able to work on big V-12 engines.
We’re not sure this carburetor will work.., Mitch will be looking for a different version.
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Sorting out parts to use.., lots of extras. The gold colored cylinder banks and blower are from The Chuck Hickling camp. Probably from the Tunnel Hull I drove for him in 1988.
Gotta be a good one in here somewhere.
Miss Spokane Merllin Engine rods and bearings.
Older Photos
First photos by Penny Simonson
January 28 - Pancho, Mark, Mitch, Tim Donery, Chris Bekel of Chelan, and Stephen Shepperd loading Rolls Merlin engine parts, gearboxes and parts, blower casings, and other equipment from Pancho's storage for transport to Chelan.