Now that the team are back from inspecting The James Silver Western Isles Chance. It is back to the boats in the workshop and in the Yard.

The picnic boat had its old floor boards laid over the floor bearers to see how they will need to be reshaped and if they can be used 

 

The damaged dinghy will be coming in the workshop shortly to be repaired and have new gunwales and seats fitted and then a complete re-painting. The owner wishes to make his own oars as he was a former boat building apprentice of mine and is up to the challenge. 

A Hardy Pilot 20's toilet bulkhead and bi-fold doors and head linings all ready to be shipped back to the owner's boat to be refitted in his boat so that he can enjoy the summer season on the rivers in Kent

The ongoing Morgan Giles 30 Project with deck work to be done and refitting the stanchions and pulpit and pushpit. Also a fair amount of work still needing to be done in the cabin  

 

Arrived at the place that Chance is laying at present and the task ahead of us

There is Chance in the background  

One of the major areas of rotten planking that needs replacing 

On the whole the boat looks in reasonable condition when you get past the poor condition of the paint work and look under the surface

Much  of the rotten wood is in areas of poor air flow in the past and the lack of been look after over the past few years

single rudder which was normal practice in the period when Chance was build 

One area that need attention to stop the bow moving a block under the bow to support the forefoot of the keel

 

Sorting out the old floor boards to make use of them, recycling wherever possible.

Found most of the old floor boards, so making use of has much of the old floor boards as possible and only using new plywood where necessary 

They will need some modifying to fit the new floor bearers as the floor plan as changed from before

 

More work on the Picnic boat and making a start on the rebuilding of a damaged dinghy

The short cross floor bearers are now fibreglassed into position andjust need the excess fibreglass matting removed before the whole area gets flow coated with grey flowcoat

The last of the major floor bearers now fibreglassed into position 

A complete set of Hardy Pilot 20 roof head lining panels recovered and a new set of toilet doors and bulkhead ready to be taken back to the clients boat to be refitted in position.

The picnic boats' old floor boards which will be reused and modified where necessary to fit the new layout of the floor

The 8 ft badly damaged dinghy which needs a complete overhaul starting with the holes in the hull and the new seats and centre thwart and new rubbing strakes and gunwales 

 

Plan of action after the 17th of May for getting on with Chance's restoration

 

After the 17th of May I will going up to Chance's and making a further inspection of the boat to then plan the next steps in the Restoration of her. Having worked on her in the past the boat is known to me. Then part of the Starboard side of the hull as been planked with Mahogany as was the hull when it was first build. The main task this time is to remove the rotten and damage on the port side. This was the side that did not get done before. However, it needs some major work this work.

First job when I get to the boat is take lots of photos of the boat has it is now.

Mark off the areas of the hull that need replacing and to what extent the work needs to go to remove all the rotten wood.

Cover up all the windows where there is no glass in the wheelhouse and make it weather tight and the same with the cabin, then get a cover to cover the whole boat while I get chance to build a temporary shed over the boat

Make a start on removing as much of the interior to gain access to the inside of the hull to get to the hull to repair or replace any major parts such as fuel and water tanks, fuel lines and electrical cabling.

List all the parts as they are removed and then put them into storage until they are either repaired or renew when that part of the boat is worked on in the future.

After I come back I will post a video and photos on my you tube channel to show the task ahead of my family and friends and myself over the coming couple of years.

Token as she once was and now a boat that is going to be restored to its former glory

This first photo is from a time when Token was in commission 

Token on a boat Transport to its present home in the North West of England where I have find her.

Arriving at her present home for the next 6 months while I get her ready for the trip down to Essex where my boat yard is situated 

Token being lifted off the transport and put in the yard  in the North West of England where I intend to work on herto get her in a condition to bring her back to North Essex.

 

J-Star Marine Services as just taken on its largest restoration project to date. A James Silver Western Isles Motor Sailer called Token.

 J-Star Marine Services as just taken on its largest restoration project to date. It is a James Silver Western Isles Motor Sailer called Token. 

Here is a bit of its history

TOKEN was built in 1948 by James Silver at Rosneath Boatyard, Argyll & Bute. Designed by John Bain, his first true motorsailer design, called Western Isles - one of two vessels of this design. Built for Rolls Royce, according to her log book.  much of the interior is original and what is not will be returned to the way she was when she was originally build. 

The first job now is to get to the boat and make it weather tight so that the work can start on her as soon as possible. 

Picnic Boat floor bearers going in and leveling the floor through the boat to fit the new floor to once the floor bearers are glassed in

Now the inner part of the new stern tube is glassed into position the aft floor bears can now be bedded in position with thickened epoxy and once this is cured the floor bearers will be glassed into position and will help strengthen the hull from flexing 

In order to keep the floor bearer in the correct position a couple of thin battens have been fixed to the top to hold the floor bear in position while the epoxy goes off

The outer part of the stern tube is now in position and now needs the stern tube surrounded by a new deadwood to hold in position and take any holding and to protect the propeller

The view of the inside of the boat with the engine beds all glassed in position and the two short floor bearers fixed in position with epoxy and ready to be glassed in when the aft floor bearer epoxy as cured and then the lot will be glassed in at the same time