The fore & aft deck panels cut to close to finished size and now epoxied on the underside before getting a coat of bilge paint

The fore and aft deck panels cut to close to finished size and coated with epoxy resin before they get a coat of grey bilge paint and are then fitted in the respective places on the boat. 

The forward bulkhead now clamped in position ready to be fibreglassed in position over the next few days. the only job to do first is fit an inspection hatch in the lower part of the bulkhead to fit the fuel line to the tank 

The fuel tank supports just need a layer of heavy carpet to sit the fuel tank before it is fixed down in position and the deck is glued and screwed down in position 

The scrape joints to refit the gunwale capping to when the deck are finished off 

 

Starting to paint out the aft lockers before making and fitting the aft bulkhead and aft deck, also the fitting of the forward bulkhead

Painting out the aft lockers and side lockers before starting to fit the aft bulkhead and aft deck and the side locker fronts and  tops 

The aft locker get a fresh coat of grey bilge paint before making and fitting the aft bulkhead and aft deck

Looking a lot better now that it is painted with a coat of grey bilge paint

The forward area now with the fuel tank on its supports and just needs the fuel tank fixing down and the now the bulkhead can be fitted 

The front bulkhead having its final dry fit before being glassed in position and then the deck being made and fitted 

 

Making a start on rebuilding the picnic boat with starting to fit new bulkheads

Fitting the new forward bulkhead where the fuel tank is going to be situated

Fitting the bulkhead then marking off the camber of the deck beam and when it is ready to fit cut the bulkhead to the beam 

Having coating this face of the bulkhead with epoxy it is getting a coat of grey bilge paint to give it a good sealing coat

Just painting out the area before glassing in the bulkhead so as to protect the wood in the future. 

Before it was painted the fuel tank base was given a coat of epoxy resin and then a coat of grey bilge paint to protect the surfaces from damp and mold. 

 

First of the bulkheads going in the picnic boat

Having marked out the bulkhead on a piece of plywood it is a matter of  cutting in out 

Cut to a close size and now a matter of fitting it to the inside of the hull and to the beams 

 

This boats engine fuel pump looking a bit worse for wear

Starting to strip this fuel pump down to investigate the problem

The first problem was the insides of the pump full of dirt and the edges are badly comprised and not making a good seal  

The inside is good and clean however, the lever that operates the upper part of the fuel pump is not working 

So it is now a matter of sourcing a new fuel pump.

 

A heated locker for the epoxy resin to keep it up to temperature during the colder winter months and getting the aft seat mould out ready for making a replacement seat for the dinghy

Now that the winter months are upon us, It was time to make an heated epoxy resin locker to keep the epoxy from getting to cold to use it over the winter months. So with some spare bits of plywood which were laying around the workshop, I constructed a locker to house the epoxy in over the winter months ans keep it in a warm locker which make it easier to use when the temperature gets lower than 10 degrees

Now that the dinghy aft seat is now removed and any old fibreglass is no longer on the hull it is time to mould a new aft seat using the mould tool I have used on other small dinghies of this design. With a bit of trimming it will fit this dinghy and then be glassed in position 

The gunwales are now cut and just need to be put through the thickenesser and planed to the finished size and then steamed round the gunwales of the dinghy to give the dinghy some well needed strength

 

The quarter knees and breasthook are now in position and just need a little profiling before the plywood deck get fitted

Now that the quarter knees and breasthook are now fixed in position they just need a little bit of profiling before the plywood deck get fitted 

Before the decks are fitted to both the fore and aft decks the upper part of the aft bulkhead needs making and the forward bulkhead needs to be made and fitted 

Once the fore and aft decks are glued and screwed down the deck will have covered with a layer of thin mahogany to look like a laid deck. 

The bottom boards for the aft seating area are getting a good coat of yacht primer before they get covered with grey bilge paint 

 

Fitting the aft deck beam on the picnic boat

Having cleaned up the deck beam of the glue it was then positioned on the gunwales after removing the gunwale capping to the correct position along the sides 

Cutting the correct angles on the ends of the deck beam to fit into the gunwales once the gunwales have had a section cut out to fit them into so that they will be flush with the top of the gunwales 

Setting the deck beam in the correct position to cut the gunwale to the correct depth to take the deck beam.

Deck beam now in position and screwed into position 

Just the knees to get fitted and then the aft deck can be covered with 6 mm plywood and then a laid deck glued on top to finish the job.

 

The fuel line with fuel flow problems

The fuel line as been cut and the wrong jubilee clips have been fitted on the inline fuel filter. The inline fuel filter is not needed as the engine as a good prefilter on the engine and any breaks in the fuel line make it possible to have air leaks.

The copper fuel line as areas where the fuel line is not the correct shape or size which will affect the flow to the engine.

The tank end of the fuel line as no sealing compound, so a another possible air leak into the fuel system.

The Fuel line with so many cuts in the length of this short fuel line, there is a greater possible cause for leaks, so in order to cut down on any possible air leaks, no inline filter which is not needed as engine as a good prefilter as part of the fuel system.

 

Making a start on Mai Star II latest restoration

 Now it is time to get on and Make a start on Mai Star II restoration and get her back to a sailing yacht once again. 

A far amount of the repairs needed to the hull are in the forward part of the yacht on the port side from the stem back to the midships area of the hull, this is where most of the damaged and rotten wood is situated.  

A friend helping remove the rotten deck and top plank 

The rotten top plank on the port side showing how badly split it was and rotten in places it was 

Same side looking aft showing the rotten tops of the grown frames which will need replacing with new green oak 

After 70+ years the top plank as given up the ghost 

The same is true of the top of the transom. I will have to look and think hard about whether it is going to be better to just replace the top section or to take the whole transom out and replace the whole of the transom.

 

Walk around the outside of Mai Star II before the restoration project starts, A winter and next project

This is the other restoration project for the winter and next spring which will be undertaken by J-Star Marine Services and the the Papendick Family to get back afloat for next summer.

 

Busy morning making a new aft locker deck beam for the Picnic Boat

Setting up the deck beam jig with plastic sheet to protect the deck beam from sticking to jig when gluing it together and clamping in position

All the strips planed to thickness ready to glue together on the deck beam jig

Starting to glue up the strips with epoxy resin glue to make a very strong deck beam

All glued up and covered over to to protect the deck beam and the glue while it cures over night ready to remove to clear off the glue and then fit in position at the back of the boat.

 

Shaping the breasthook to fit on the inside faces of the gunwale & fitting the quarter knees

Shaping the breasthook so it will fit in the bow and be bolted in position 

The quarter knees getting fitted to the inside faces of the gunwales before being fixed in position 

When they are fixed they will strengthen the quarters of the boat, There is going to be a larger rudder and they will keep the boat hull from flexing when underway now that the boat is going to have an engine fitted to the boat.