Bonding in the forward floor bearers on a bed of thickened epoxy.

Now that the forward matrix of floor bearers is shaped and fitted to the bottom of the hull it is now set on a bed of thickened epoxy before it is fibreglassed into position.

Now that this section of the floor bearers is set position the rest of the floor bearers and the engine beds will be set off from these floor bearers

Once the thickened epoxy as cured then the floor bearers will be glassed into place, then it is the turn of the engine bedsto be made and set on a bed of thickened epoxy and then in turn glassed into position 

 

Sometimes we get asked to make up gelcoat panels to fill up holes that where old instruments have been and no longer need to be there

So we start off release waxing a sheet of Perspex which is a little bit over size for the hole we need to fill in. 

The first job is to coat the panel with two coats of the required colour gelcoat and then lay up the panel with 6 layers of 600 g CSM and the let it cure off and then repeat the process again until we have enough panels to do the job in hand.

Sometime we get the  old moulding and after repairing and polishing the original moulding we will take a plug off the and then mould new mouldings. At least we can make new moulding for owners of boat where the original moulding are no longer available from the original builders.  

 

First part of the new inner keel and the forward floor bearers getting rerady to be glassed into position

The forward part of the inner keel dry fitted and ready to be bedded down on a bed of thickened epoxy and then glassed into position

Now that the inner keel is dry fitted to the bottom of the hull, so it is ready to get bedded down on thickened epoxy  and the glassed over and then the floor bearers will be glassed into position to strengthen before the next stage is started. The engine beds to be made and fitted.

 

Starting work on the centre line of the picnic boat

After cleaning out the old filler out of the centreboard slot and degreasing the area it was time to fill the old centreboard slot with epoxy resin and micro balloons filler.

Once it as cured off then the whole area will get a further sanding back and the area will have 3 layers of 600g's of CSM to strengthen up the area.

 

Setting up the engine bed matrix out of thin plywood to take measurement for the permanent engine bed matrix

Having made a thin plywood pattern of the permanent engine bed matrix it is time to get it in the correct position  

The aft section is going to have a cut out to let the propeller shaft run through however the rest will be at the same height as the rest of matrix 

 

Making a start fitting the engine in the picnic boat

The engine is a good fit between the two remaining thwarts with just enough room to lower the engine down lower enough to run the exhaust pipe under the aft thwart 

There is not going to be much clearance under the engine however, there is going to be reinforcement under the engine  when the inner keel is refitted and glassed over and the engine beds are glassed into the boat.

A neat and tight fit when it is fitted 

 

Getting on with small jobs while the weather and the lockdown are causing problems with major projects.

 It has been a bit of a up and down week down at the boatyard and in the workshop, the weather been unsettled, one minute it is quiet mild and the next it is freezing cold. However, that is the way the winter going in the UK, So many of the jobs I have in and around the boatyard and the workshop have been put on hold because the conditions are not stabilisable enough for long enough to ensure the final outcome will be up to spec. So in the meantime I will be doing a bit of small jobs which I have been putting to one side for just these sort of times when doing other jobs need long time to do and need more settled temperatures.

So get on with small jobs such as making paddles and oars, it is

a way of making use of ash I have in stock, I am making a new range of bespoke paddles.


I can make them with different tops and length of blades depending on customer requirements, So give Simon a call today if you are in the market for a paddle so that you are not up a creek without a paddle.


I might even do a bit of wood turning on my Lathe, making some ash belaying pins and other small items for small boats. Also do some more cleaning up the workshop and machinery maintenance both on hand tools and power tools while I have the time to do them before the end of the lockdown comes and we get busy again.

Starting to refit the original floor bearers back into the boat, however,there has to be a bit of reshaping the floors before they can get glassed into position again

The first two floor bearers back together as one unit, the only problem now is that the boat hull is back in its correct shape the floors do not fit the hull as well as them should and will need reshaping to fit back into the correct position 

The level shows that the forward floor is a small bit higher than it should be so that will be the first place to start togetthe floors fitted down to the correct height and position 

These are the floors for the aft end of the boat which will have to be cut about before they are refitted in the hull and glassed back into their correct position 

 

The picnic boat now off its trailer and positioned on the strong back ready to be worked on

The picnic boat is now on the building strong back and leveled up in both athwartships and fore and aft, so that all the measurement can be taken off for the fitting of the engine beds and the floor bearers will be true and level. 

The strong back as been used to build my Mai Star Class dinghy in the past, So while we do not have a Mai Star Class in build at present it is being used to help with this refit of the picnic boat. 

The strong back is just the right length to fit under the picnic boat so that the aft end of the keel can be cut away to fit the stern tube log and build a new section of keel around the log to support the stern tube log when it is fitted 

The aft end being supported by a tower block of sleeper block fixed together to make up the height needed 

The boat is now levelled and ready to get underway with fitting the floor bearers and engine beds

 

Making a new range of bespoke paddles

As a way of making use of ash I have in stock, I am making a new range of bespoke paddles. 

I can make them with different tops and length of blades depending on customer requirements, So give Simon a call today if you are in the market for a paddle so that you are not up a creek without a paddle. 

 

An interesting first week back at the boatyard and workshop in this new year

 An interesting first week back at the boatyard and in the workshop. A lot of boat movements and a car that has come into the workshop to have some body restoration done to it. The boats that were moved around were the blue speed boat and the yellow picnic boat, which have changed places. That is so the picnic boat can get the inside rebuild and the engine fitted in to convert it from a rowing boat to a motor launch. There is a lot to do with the inside as the floor bearers have to go back in after the boat comes off its trailer. The main problem at the moment is that the trailer is the wrong design for the boat. it is bending the hull up where the rollers are positioned and the fact the trailer has no centre line support is only making the problem worse. So in order to glass the floor bearers back in the boat. The boat is going to come off the trailer and be put on a strong back to support the boat hull down the centre line and then be support along the sides. That way the floor bearers can be fitted in the correct position and glassed in correct and strengthen the hull at the same time.

That the first job for next week to get the trailer off from under the boat and level the hull up and then glass back the floor bearers.

Then make a start on the car body restoration, at least that is the plan?

Boat Movement morning down at the boat yard and change about in the workshop

The picnic boat is now in the workshop so that it can start to dry out before it is lifted off its trailer so that the work can get underway on its refit 

Bit of a tight squeeze down the side of the boat until work gets underway on the car  

Car restorations undertaken as well in these difficult times

The dinghy mould as had to go outside for a while the picnic boat gets its refit. 

The speed boat that has been in the workshop for while a long time is now outside while the picnic boat is refitted and then that will be brought back in the workshop, however that will be done when the boat is turned over and sitting on its keel again. 

 

So it begins again for another year

 Good start to the year with getting client's materials ordered from my suppliers, so that the work can be got underway as soon as the materials get to my yard.

Got a lot of boat movements to do this week as one of the boats which is outside now have to come in and get worked on as they need to be afloat for Easter and there is a lot of work that needs doing of the hull before I can refit the inside of the hull. The biggest job is fitting a stern gear in the which never had a engine in before. So let the fun begin.

The work ahead for J-Star Marine Services, it is going to be busy time between now and Easter down at the Workshop and Yard

 As of Monday this coming week it will be time to go back to work and make a start on sorting out the workshop and the yard so that I can move around the projects in the workshop and out in the yard so that the more pressing projects can get worked on and the projects that have been put on hold can be put outside and into storage. The first job to start this coming week, to move out the blue speed boat out of the workshop and turn it over so the work on the deck can be started on at a later date. Before that can be done the small matter of moving a conversion project on its trailer has to be moved from outside of the workshop doors so the speed boat can come out. The conversion project will have to be moved out on to the road outside the yard to give access to the workshop and room to move the speed boat trailer into position so that it can go under the speed boat and move it out of the workshop. Once it is out and turned over it can have a large cover put over the boat and put into storage while the conversion project can come in the workshop and dried out and worked on as it is required for Easter This year to do some local bird watching and nature visits around the local area. Although, the conversion project appears to be a major project, once the floor bearers and engine beds are fitted the major construction work will be done. The only other construction work inside the boat will be making will be making a back seat and side benches and an engine box for the new engine installation. Then make a new rudder and tiller. Then later on sand back paint work on the outside of the hull to change from its last paint colour to the new owner's choice of colour which is a light blue. So major boat movements to start the year before I can get underway with the conversion project. While that underway I have other project get on with the Cornish Crabber refit, namely get the mast support post glassed on to the centreboard case and the two deck beams above the mast support fitted and glassed in. Then the owner wishes to fabricate the lifting system which will be fitted to the top of the base part of the mast support post. That way the mast support has two different but equally important jobs to do.

There will be the Morgan Giles 30 to keep doing work on and also the 8 ft dinghy to be moulded and the Classic Gaff cutter to get work done on, so I am going to be busy person over the coming months.

New Year and new beginning and better times ahead

 Christmas is now behind us and I am looking forward to a better new year and more boat building and repair projects over the coming weeks and months ahead. As with all new year's it is time to make fresh starts and clean out the workshop and yard to make room for the new work to come to the yard. Now that the Covid 19 situation is now looking better. It is time to plan the schedule of the workload for the coming weeks that came in over the Christmas break with a better idea of how it is going to be achieved.  Although, the present situation is making work difficult, many of my  suppliers are finding it difficult to supply some items most of my suppliers are adaptable and are finding different sources for many products. This way I can keep working and getting my projects still on track for spring delivery dates. So now it is a matter of on forwards and up forwards.