Damaged dinghy hull repairs

Having fixed Formica to the outside of the hull it was time to mark out the areas that needed grinding back to  grind to a make a key for the CSM to adhered to once the cracks have been filled with a number of layers of gelcoat 

One of the areas marked out ready to grind back 

The forward area marked out

 

Glassing in the last of the floor bearers in the Picnic Boat

 

The last three floor bearers getting glassed in position.

Once they all have the correct layers of fibreglass then the lockers will be made up to run down both sides

After the floor bearers are done the aft locker /seat will have the beams made up and the new lids will be made

Sorting out fuel tank position and bedding the last of the floor bearers in the hull and patterning up for side benches in aft end of the boat

Sorting out the fuel tank position in the bow. The locker was the original bow seat which will now be the base for the fuel tank. There should be enough fall to the injector pump on the engine for the engine to be gravity fed. 

Once it is braced in position, then a deck beam will be made and a small foredeck will be fitted to cover the fuel tank and for the filler to be fitted.

The last of the floor bearers to be bedded on to the hull and then fibreglassed into position. The floor bearer behind this floor bearer will be fixed to the aft bulkhead

The spline curved into position to pattern up the shape of the top of the locker / seat and give an impression of the size and shape it needs to be 

A photo of the shape looking aft showing it is going to be a good size for a seat and a locker for storing fenders and warps

The old floor boards cut to a size which will be large enough to fit the engine in its final position when it is bolted in position 

 

A non travelling week back at home base for a change

 It has been a busy couple of weeks visiting other marinas and boatyards around England in four different counties as far from each other as can be Somerset, Kent, Yorkshire and finally Lancashire. Each of the visits was to a different type of boat and different types of repairs. Thankfully this coming week it is back to my own yard and workshop to get on with the boats in the workshop and in the yard that need working on to get them back to their owners. The work in the workshop is varied from painting decks on a GRP yacht to converting an old rowing boat into a motor launch to go bird watching to removing varnish off a dinghy to building a new 8ft. GRP Dinghy to repairing the holes in another 8 ft. GRP dinghy. So you could say I have my hands full of boat repairs for a while to come.

James Silver Western Isles TSMY Chance Restoration Project

 Chance is presently in a crane hire yard in Woodplumpton near Preston in Lancashire.

First day at the Chance was to take a good look around the boat and see how much work was going to be needed to make her sound to move her back to Walton on the Naze where my yard is situated.

The second visit to Chance was with my family and Brother John who helps removes the rubbish from the inside of the cabins. Loose Items, such as the Masts and Booms, which were placed under the boat on blocks to keep them off the ground and keep them straight and out of the weather.  

Other items such as cupboard / locker doors and drawers were removed and put in my works van to be transported back to my workshop to be put into storage until they are repaired or new doors and drawer are made where necessary.

Other rubbish which included old vacuum clearer and a number of other items which were removed so the floorboards could be accessed to take a look in the bilge areas of the hull to see what was in them and how much work was going to be needed to clear and sort out this area of the boat.

Then my brother and I put a partial cover over the back of the boat to keep the weather off the hole in the transom and over the aft cabin which is in a bit of a poor condition at present and a partial cover over the cockpit windows to keep the weather out of the cockpit area as well.

The next time I go up to Chance, I will start to make a set of temporary floor boards and remove the original floor boards, so that they can be cleaned up and remove all the dirt and oil which is covering them and the bilge at the present time. At the same time start to remove the panels in the sides of the forecabin and see what they are hiding behind them. Then turn our attention to the aft cabin and remove the aft cabin berth which is not the original berth when Chance was build

 

If we have time we will hope to remove the internal ballast which is the bilge area in the main and forecabin. Once the ballast weights are out of the way then the job of cleaning the forward end of the bilge can begin and see the extent of it condition.

The following time it will be the turn of the removing all the fore and aft lockers and cupboards so that we can access to the hull from the inside in all the cabins. Carefully taking measurements of all the parts we remove so that as much as is possible to refit can be refitted at a later date once the hull repairs are done and the hull is repainted on the inside with bilge paint in the bilge areas and white gloss in the areas which were painted that way when she was first built.  

 

 

The next time at the good ship Chance it will to clean out more of the rubbish and dismantle the aft and forward cabins

The reason for this is two fold, firstly to expose the inside areas of the hull and gauge the extend of the rot in the planking behind parts of the hull covered by paneling and lockers. Secondly to be able to re-fix the hull planking in the same way it was done the first time round with copper nails and roves and not to relay on just screws. Because this is going to be a full on restoration the rebuilding of the hull planking it will be in the same method as used when Chance was built in 1948.

The forward cabin is especially in need of careful measurement being taken and photograph of all the items that are in their present position. However, looking at other James Silver's of a similar size. The hull was not paneled out like Chance, but bare painted hull will mahogany slats screwed on to the frames and ribs to act as back rests for the bunks when the crew are sleeping in the forward cabin. I expect to find evidence of this when I remove the present paneling off the frames as it is done presently.     

 

In the aft master cabin the layout is completely not original as the cabin bunk arrangement was not athwart-ships and is not the way this was originally built on other James Silver's of a similar age and size there are two bunks aft and a chest of drawers in the aft end of the cabin. The hope is to remove the present arrangement and see if there are witness marks of the original arrangement and if there is a chance there are plans available which will make it possible to re-fit the original from her build plans and put it back the way she way in 1948.   

So that is my plan of action for my next trip to Chance and her ongoing restoration 

A video run down the port side and the starboard side of Chance

 

Making a start on clearing out the inside of the James Silver TSMY Chance to we can get to the hull from the inside

This photo is of the engineering space aboard Chance full of old out of date equipment and wiring which is all going to be removed and new up to date electrical wiring and equipment will be fitted to bring up to date and safe. 

Just a sea of old old out of date equipment and wiring and bilge pump

Much of this equipment as not been updated in decades if in some case never

The original heads in the aft cabin with its sink and original toilet 

Having taken off the ensign and flag box off the main bulkhead we can see the colour of the original wood finish.

Simple and down to earth engine controls, I will looking to find if the instruments can restored or new original looking gauges can be found 

The ships wheel is from the period of her launch and cam from Simpson & Lawrence of Glasgow 

A view out of the wheelhouse from the steering position along the long foredeck which at the moment does not have its main mast or guardrails fitted which will be restored and hen refitted at a later stage of the restoration

The view forward from the starboard side showing off the butterfly skylights and forecabin hatch which in time will be removed and restored and re-varnished to look like they were when she was originally launched in 1948

The original compass which is going to go to be restored by a compass restorer 

The masts for the boat which apart from a bit of age damage are in reasonable  condition which with a good sanding and lot of varnish will look good once more and will be able bed on new sails and be able set sail on the high seas again  

A couple of family members heling get the restoration project underway and I am sure there are going to be friends to help along the way 

The original heads in the aft cabin with its sink and original toilet 

Having taken off the ensign and flag box off the main bulkhead we can see the colour of the original wood finish.

Simple and down to earth engine controls, I will looking to find if the instruments can restored or new original looking gauges can be found 

The ships wheel is from the period of her launch and cam from Simpson & Lawrence of Glasgow 

The forward bilge area which is full oily water and dirt of other types which will be the first area to be cleared out so that bilges can be cleaned and repainted

The main saloon/ cabin starboard side an area which will need restoring back to it former glory and condition 

Some old speed and depth equipment 

one of the boats former owners long since flown the nest

The galley area port side with an area for a gimballed cooker  

another view of the forward bilge with a pond pump laying in the bilge which was got to work and was able to remove much of the water

The forecabin which not original and there should be to bunk and a toilet in this area

There is a spilt plank below the rubbing strake between two butt joints which will need to be investigated as a matter of priority