The new trailer a better trailer and more than up to the job

The trailer now under the boat and fits well and will make launching and hauling out of the water a lot easier 

Now with the engine bolted to the back of the boat it can get finished off over the next week.

Bank holiday weekend works on boat movements ready for next week's arrival of the Hardy 25

Getting the Shetland Black Hawk ready for its new trailer to arrive

Old trailer out now ready for its next job 

Enterprise outside ready to be towed away 

Ready for its new trailer to arrived later today 

A busy week down at the boatyard and workshop

In the run up to Easter weekend it as been busy with a number of projects being moved out of the workshop and put in storage awaiting their owners to pick them up and Take them away over Easter. While other projects have been coming into the workshop to get worked on over the pasat week and making room for other boats to arrive next week to get their refits underway. One of the boats coming to the yard is a boat that was built while I worked at another yard 30 years ago and is in need of a major refit to get it back to its former glory and sailing in another part of the country from which as spent most of its last thirty years sailing in. A big diffrence The Norfolk Boards  for the last thirty years and now its new home in the Bristol.

During this past week the team at J-Star Boat Services as been doing a number of engine jobs from a diesel tank removal and fuel system renewal to removing an engine to change a heat exchanger on an engine that could not be done with the engine in the yacht. Like many jobs that need major parts of engine changing it is easier to remove the engine to get the part removed with ease rather than cut the boat about to get the part off the engine.

The Shetland Black Hawk refit is coming along well with many of the jobs done now and just the engine to bolt on to the boat as soon as the new trailer arrives next week so that the boat sits on the trailer correctly and is balanced correctly for the engine weight on the transom and it up to regulations to be towed on the road by its new owner. 

The Enterprise dinghy was just in the workshop for a few last jobs to be done and the Mast support weld to its base bracket so that the mast can be put back on the trailer and the boat can be used again for sailing after Easter and so the staff can go for a sail at the weekends when the weather is fine and there are a good breeze to sail with, or at least thats the plan.

So after Easter there are going to be two Hardy 25's to do refits on , finish off the Shetland Black Hawk and then do the Shetland 570 and get the Classic 1930's yacht stern tube repair finished off the Mai Star Class dinghy finish off and get in the water.  Sothe team  at J-Star Boat Services has a busy few weeks and a couple of months ahead.

If that was not enough the team as to get Mai-Star II refit underway and get the yacht back in the water for the summer so the team can comple in the local old gaffers race over the summer season.

More photos of the Shetland Black Hawk in for restoration

Now the seats are removed there is more space to work in the cockpit

A simple battery set up which will need up dating to make it more user friendly

Simple switch board that will need sorting and making good and removing from the toilet compartment

Thirty year old wiring that will need renew to been it up to date and safe 

Wiring will need sorting and making safe and able to be run correctly round the boat

Hardy Navigator now ready to go back afloat

The Hardy Navigator now ready to go and get back on the water for Easter

The engine is now seviced and the propeller repaired and now all it needs in water.

Shetland Black Hawk in for restoration

The black hawk is in a bit of a state, but with a little and money the Shetland Black hawk to go to sea again

The dashboard is a little bare at the moment, it has to have a few instruments fitted as part of the restoration  

A new gear shift backing pad to be fitted to take the gear shift control unit

The outboard that is going to be fitted to the back of the boat once the new trailer is collected and the trailers are changed over.

Starting to fit the Shaft log back in the Classic yacht

Cleaning up the top face of the hog  ready to start to fit the new shaft log into position

Fitting over the ribs,however need to take a little more of the cut outs around the ribs to ensure it fit correctly down of the top face of the hog

Looking to part now it is sitting in position with a bit of final shaping to fit down into position

Starting to fit the mast support and the front thwart in the Mai-Star Class dinghy

Fittting the top mast support to the inside faces of the gunwale 

Now that the edges are planned down it is time to start fitting the forward thwart. However just got to fit the thwart stringer to the inside of the hull and then will be able to fit all the thwarts and seats to the stringers.

Back on the classic yacht repairs

Starting work on the classic yacht garboard planks and its shaft log replacement

Set up the mobile workshop in the back of my large van which is ideal for doing small repair on the road and away from the workshop

Starting to fit the first of the two garboard planks that renewing because of the rotten and damaged shaft log and its rusted away fixings

The fitting is taking some time as there are many different angles to shape the plank to fit the gap between the hog and the second plank on the hull.

Major leak problem a piece of missing hog, this gap was filled with sealant before, this time it will have a new piece fitted to ensure there is no leak in this area in the future.

Making up knee and breasthook patterns

Making  stern quarter knee patterns, now got to make the real thing and fit them

The breast hook, this will prove interesting when it comes to fitting it, long screws through the planks and gunwales.  

Making the thwarts and seats for Mai-Star Class dinghy

Cutting and thicknessing the thwarts and seats top mast support 

Putting them in position on the dinghy to see how them measure up and look before gluing them up 

The first three pieces glued up 

Now once them have cured and set, then glue the other three and then make up the edging pieces which on this dinghy are going to be made out of either oak or ash.  

The Mai Star Class dinghy gunwale infills and making the blanks up to make the thwarts

Fitting the gunwale infills for the mast support and the front seat and also done the rowlock base infills further down the gunwales as well

Making up the hardwood blanks for the forward seat and mast support 

The gunwale infills finished off  and the long baton setting off the measurements for thew seats and thwarts.

Now the snow as gone its time to get back to work

Now the snow as gone and the yard is clean its time to make the best of weather.

now that the Mai-Star Class dinghy is back in the workshop it is time to get the fitting out underway and get the dinghy finished off

The same with the Enterprise as this needs to get finished off and be taken back to its owner so he can sail it in the spring

The Hardy just needs a few jobs doing and that will be on its way as wel.

The Shetland is finished off and awaiting its new owner

Spoilting off the new planks for the classic yacht we are repairing  and once finished off it too will be back in the water ready for the new season.