Melting lead

is no big deal--been there done that--

but processing a large quantity is a new experience. Some 300 lbs of lead will be needed for the Belhaven's ballast, approximated to be about half a cubic foot.

For the test, lead plates from a dismembered car battery were to be melted in a discarded cast aluminum pot and the wood fire turbocharged with a hair dryer.  Test was aborted due to equipment malfunction.

Lessons learned:
1.  Cast aluminum cannot take the heat, its bottom cracked and made the molten lead leak out.
2.  A lot of heat is wasted in an open fire, extending the meltdown time.
3.  Ingot molds are needed.

BEING A JOURNAL

of the building of the Belhaven 19 sail boat Hull Number 30 from B & B Yacht Designs.

So it was decided that a more capable boat is needed to cross over to the other islands. The Belhaven, a cat ketch designed by Graham Byrnes, was chosen for ease of handling (fewer strings to pull because of the unstayed masts and the sprit booms) and for simplicity of construction (hard-chined stitch-and-glue).