Wednesday, 25 March 2026

The 3 dinghies and Aluminium speedboat in the workshop presently under going refits or restoration and will be put up for sale when they are finished for the new season.

The Enterprise is close to being finished with just a few small jobs needing to be done before it is photographed and put on the market.


We are just about halfway through the Wayfarer's refit and needs a number of jobs doing before it to is put on the market, it is a very good example of this safe training dinghy.


This classic Windboat's Pearly Miss runabout speedboat is currently under going a full restoration and will be a good example of this classic speed boat for anybody who is looking for a classic speed boat for the summer trips on the River Thames


The Classic GRP tender / Dinghy is being fitted out and will be ready for the summer season as a stand alone dinghy or as a tender for a larger craft. These classic dinghy are stable and will give many years of faithful service for its owner. 


 

Wednesday, 11 March 2026

Varnishing the Enterprise deck & The 8ft tender woodwork and the Wayfarer's rudder parts and the tabernacle now rebuild.

The Enterprise now as its final coat of Varnish and will now wait for it to cure off and then put all the deck fittings back on.


Then once the varnish is cured off then touch up the hull if it needs work done on the hull then get the boat rigged ready for the new sailing season after Easter.


The buildup coats are getting applied to all the woodwork and then the last of the fibreglassing will be done and then the hull can be painted.


The Wayfarer rudder parts are getting their buildup coats of varnish 


Now I have got a production line worked out for varnishing of the Wayfarer parts 


The Wayfarer tabernacle is now back together ready to have its final coats of varnish and be refitted once the repairs in the bow are completed and there is no long any need to get access to the bow locker.


 

Sunday, 8 March 2026

WE at J-Star Marine Services are supporting this event which our staff are taking part this year.

 On the 19th to 21th of March, I'm taking on The Great Tommy Sleep Out.

I'll be sleeping outside for one night to fundraise for RBVE (Royal British Veterans Enterprise)

and raise awareness for homeless ex-servicemen and women. 



I'd love your support in helping me make a difference. Royal British Veterans Enterprise

has been helping those in need for over 100 years, providing support to the armed forces community,

individuals with disabilities, and those who have become unemployed. 



Please consider donating, sharing this page, and standing with me in support of our veterans.

Let's stand up for those who stood up for us.




The next week I will be getting on with more of the same as last week.

Now that the gunwales and inwales and the other trims and the two seats have had their build up coats of varnish, I am turning my attention to repainting the hull wit a new coat of hi build epoxy primer before finishing the hull off with a fresh coat of cream two pack marine gloss.  


The Wayfarer dinghy rudder getting a refurb and a lot of coats of varnish to bring it back to life. Just got to glue up the tiller which had had glue give out after a lot of years. Using epoxy this time to ensure it lasts for many years to come.

The rudder cheeks getting their first coats of thinned varnish on all sides as I build up the layers back to the original spec and once this is done then rebuild the rudder once more.


I have to put my gazebo up over the Enterprise and make the area into a varnishing booth  to stop any dust getting on to surface.


A few small jobs on the inside. One of them being fibreglassing in the front and back buoyancy tanks seats and build up coats of varnish on the woodwork  before turning over the dinghy and start painting the hull with a two pack cream marine gloss paint.


The two hanging knees which are now coated with Hammarite siler paint and now ready to bolt back in the hull, so that they can tie in the deck beams to the hull frames. Once these are back in place the up strakes of the hull can be made up and fitted and the foredeck area will be at a stage to be re-planked when funds are available to do that job.
 

Friday, 6 March 2026

Another busy week in the J-Start Marine Services Workshop

 The steel hanging knees from Mai Star II are now ready to be installed back in Mai Star II once the Studding arrives and the spacers are made up and fixed in position.



The two rudder cheeks now repaired and top of the new rudder cheek is thinned down to fit the tiller head.They are now getting their many coats of varnish before the parts are rebuild and the rudder is ready to be put back into use when the rer4st of the boat is restored 


The rudder blade was sanded back to bare wood and now getting the first of many coats of varnish before it is refitted to the other part of the rudder. So got to glue the tiller back together .


The new 8ft tender/dinghy as now got its centre thwart fitted and its first coat of thinned varnish like the rest of the woodwork it as to have many more coats of varnish before it is finished off


The breasthook is now fitted and so all that as to do now is fibreglass in the seats at both ends of the boat.


The course of action now is to apply as lot more coats of varnish before turning the boat over to paint the hull.


The pram dinghy is now gettingfa good sanding down before it gets its first coat of hi build epoxy primer


The enterprise is being got ready to have its final coat of varnish before all the deck fittings are refitted and the boat is put up for sale and sold to a new owner.