Projects

Three masted square topsail schooner ACTIV sailed into Lunenburg in the spring of 2019 to get refitted for their upcoming movie work for THE NORTH WATERS, a dark story of a whaling ship in the 1800’s. After intial introductions with Captain/owner Jonas Bergsoe of Denmark, it was realized that ACTIV needed major rigging overhaul work and IRONBOUND was set up and available to take on a large scope of work. Over the next two months we successfully changed out almost all the standing rigging wire on the foremast including the lower shrouds, topmast backstays, jibboom guys, forestay and other smaller components. This was all completed with the masts ‘in place’ which required some creative solutions to install the new wires. We were very happy with how all the work turned out with proper traditional wire seizings, leather work, and serving.

Captain Jonas was very pleased as well and had this to say:

“Thank you for a first class schoolbook example of fine rigging work!
It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with you and for me to be able to rest a-sured that all was in capable hands leaving most decisions to you and your attention to detail.”

MARTHA SEABURY is stout and beautiful traditional wooden schooner built by renown boat builder, Dave Westergard at the DORY SHOP in Lunenburg in 2012.
IRONBOUND RIGGING is currently looking after the boat, including hauling and launching, uprig and maintenance. This spring of 2020 we are getting her outfitted and ready to be delivered to Norway, where the owner now lives.
 

Owner/operator of Ironbound Rigging, Mike Moreland has been extensively involved with the rigging of the the 141 foot replica of the 1923 Gloucester fishing schooner COLUMBIA since before her launching in 2014 until present. Moreland joined the rigging crew of Lunenburg based Blue Rocks Timber Framers in 2014 and was apart of the rigging team assigned with installing the new rigging and masts on the brand-new schooner in Panama City, Florida. Moreland sailed as Chief Mate of Columbia for her maiden voyage and sea trials while fine tuning the complex rig. He has also returned to Panama City many times for downrig/uprig and rigging projects such as replacing all of COLUMBIA’s wire seizings with stainless wire in 2019. He was also one of the lead riggers who lofted and spliced the entire standing and running rigging for COLUMBIA II over the winter of 2014/15, which is still awaiting commissioning.

EASTERN STAR is beautiful 48 ft wooden ketch built in Denmark in 1948. She has been operating out of Lunenburg for almost 30 years as a reliable daysail boat and uses a modern ketch rig. All of her rigging is 1×19 stainless with sta-lock fittings. IRONBOUND RIGGING was asked to replace all of the standing rig while re-using the sta-lock fittings. With the masts still in place, we would send down a few shrouds at a time and remove the fittings with heat and persuasion and re-install on the new 1×19 wire with new cones and formers. By taking extra care, we were able to re-use all of the fittings which saved the customer a lot of money.
We also replaced some of the running rigging, as well as installing a new harken furler. We helped rig up a storm staysail in the event the boat was to be used for offshore cruising.
 

The large three masted daysail schooner in Halifax Harbour SILVA, reached out to IRONBOUND RIGGING to design and fabricate a new bowsprit net and new whisker stays. We removed the old net and stays installed new wire stays and a neat rope net with wire footropes and stirups. We feel this is a vast improvement and making it easier and safer for the crew to furl the jib which they do many times a day. We also led the up rig for the season and made many small improvements and checked the rig for any deficiencies.