Final pieces of the keel glued and fixed in place and now time for the epoxy to cure over night and start the fairing of the keel down to its final shape

The final piece of the keel jigsaw puzzle place on top of the rest of the keel,just have to mark off the leading angle and then drill out the holes for the fixings to go through.

The final piece now glued and fixed down in place.

Now comes the fun part of the job sanding and fairing up the sides of the keel and profiling the bottom face . The front section is going to be remade after a pattern is made of the stem piece so that a new laminated stem can be made and steamed in place.

The keel is this deep because the boat engine needs a 12 inch keel ahead of the propeller to protect the propeller from damage

So tomorrow start the fairing up of the keel before it gets coated with epoxy clear coat and the Gelshield 200 epoxy treatment like the rest of the hull. 

It is being discussed whether or not to start to prepare the hull before it is turned back on to its  bottom, It will be easier to get it to pre gloss paint stage and the spray the hull once it is back up the right way up.

 

The keel on the motor launch is also finished being made up with the final piece being shaped up tomorrow

The new keel for the motor launch is almost made up with just one piece left to shape up and glue and fix into place. Then start to shape the sides and the final 8 inches of the keel to give the propeller good flow over its blades.

Then once the keel is shaped up to the correct profile then an epoxy coating will be applied and the surface will get the same epoxy treatment as the hull.. 

Once this is done then the hull will be sanded and filled and faired up to get it ready for a fresh coat of paint. However, before the hull is painted the hull will turned over and put back on its trailer, so that the interior refit can be finished off and the engine fitted.

 

I have made available all 496 videos of Chance's restoration available to anyone who wishes to see how far we have come with her restoration over the past 5 years

                                 

I have made available all 496 videos of Chance's restoration available to anyone who wishes to see how far we have come with her restoration over the past 5 years just follow this link to go to my pateron page https://www.patreon.com/cw/Chance_1948 Where you can all see the work we have put into her over the years and how far we have to go to get her back on the water

Just a few days off to have a reset period before the Autumn and get ready for the laying up period.

As part of the reset it is time to move these projects along and get them finished and on the market and move them on to their new owners.

A major part of this is to get the jobs finished and empty the workshop and make room for the next lot of boats to come into the workshop and yard to be worked on over the autumn and winter months

This Wayfarer dinghy is now in its final stages of its major refit and is going to be ready to be re-rigged and have the rigging and sails inspected to ensure they are ok and sorted ready for its new owner.

The 8ft  outboard/ rowing tender is ready to go with its own launching trolley. Just add water and away you go. 

For something different a classic Windboat's Pearly Miss runabout which is under going a major refit and can be purchased as a project or you can get  team at J-Star Marine Services to finish her off to a high standard and have a classic runabout for next season. 

 

Boat yard equipment, Workshop Tools, Boats & Outboard Motors Sale by J-Star Marine Services all equipment and tools must go!!!!

I am having surplus boatyard and workshop sale, All the yard equipment i.e. mobile boat cradle which is for a 35 ft motorboat, a 3 ton capacity boat hoist and other boatyard equipment such as a 8 metre x 4 metre mobile workshop frame, work benches must go and a number of the workshop tools such bandsaws, skill saws, planners. routers and bits and much more other tools which are surplus to my personal needs.

I am also selling a number of boats , An Enterprise dinghy on its own trailer, an Wayfarer with launching trolley and road trailer, A twin axle 3 ton capacity flat bed trailer 2 x 8ft GRP dinghies, Two bare dinghy moulding in need of refits, & Outboard engines, 4 hp Johnson extra long shaft two stoke, a long shaft 10 hp Honda four stoke outboard.

Viewing by appointment, Call 07534045729.

Unit 5 Foundry Yard off Hall Lane Walton on the Naze

Having a Yard and Workshop SALE as I scaling back my business

As part of my scaling back my business I am having a yard and workshop sale to sell any of the boatyard equipment I will not need in the future and have not used for sometime.

I am not retiring from boat building just scaling back my business to a more flexible size business.

 

Finally fitting the first part of the keel and now on to the next pieces to make up the keel.

The part of the new keel now glued on with marine sealant  and bolted through the hull with bolts and large penny washers and then get ready for the next stage of the build up of the keel pieces.

With this piece of keel the back of the boat is now got a lot of it strength back along the centre line of the hull.

The next pieces now dry fitted in position just got to sort out how to fix these parts . they are going to glued and then have lengths of studding put through the other parts of the keel pieces to fix them as well as epoxy glue the parts together.

Got to make up a wedge to fit in the part between the next pieces once these are sorted the last long piece will be glued and fixed in position.

 

All change at J-Star Marine Services and the way forward

 All change in the workshop with different jobs coming into the workshop. Getting through the boats in the workshop and the yard before moving to smaller premises. So I am not as people think retiring, Just moving to smaller premises to keep my business working and keep helping my many clients with their boats.

Although I am closing the workshop in Walton on the Naze to more large work from the 10th of September and moving to smaller premises in Clacton on Sea as soon as the boats are finished I am still working on smaller boats and projects. So if there are clients who wish to have small repairs and refits just call Simon on 07534045729 for a chat.

I am having a yard and workshop sale of the equipment I no longer need as I am moving to smaller premises. The sale is ongoing from the 10th of September until the yard and workshop are empty of all the equipment and other items which are up for sale.

Time to call it a day after 49 years as a boat builder and close down J-Star Marine Services

After 49 years I have decided to call it a day, I would like to thank all my past clients for their putting their work in my hands and for the return custom they have given me over the past 49 years. It has been a honour to work on your boats and yachts over these years and hop you are enjoying your boat now and in the future.

The boat yard and workshop will close on the 10th September and there is going to be a yard and workshop after that until the yard and workshop are empty.

As part of the boatyard sale there is a workshop cradle was designed for a 35 ft motor cruiser or can be used for a 30 ft yacht it as 8 wheels and is fully mobile. There is also a mobile yard hoist which is able to lift 3 ton boats. Open to reasonable offers on these pieces of equipment now they are surplus to the yards needs. Contact Simon on 07534045729 if you are interested. 

The boat yard sale is at Unit 5 Foundry Yard Hall Lane Walton on the Naze CO14 8HW Not at my home address, So will people not go to my home address and upset my Wife please.

I will continue to offer an mobile services so I will be available to work on client's boats when required.

Simon Signing out and hope to see you all out there in the future.

Starting to fit the new keel round the stern tube

Having dry fitted the forward section of keel it is time to start to fit aft section of keel to fit it round the stern tube and fit it under the forward where there is a wedge shape gap under the long section of keel.

Having cut a cut a slot in the aft section of keel it is time to position the keel over the stern tube to mark off the position of the areas at the ends both forward and aft to remove the wood at these ends to let the keel lay flat on the hull.

The forward end will need material removing from the underside to allow the keel lower face to fit the hull

The same job as to be done are the aft end on the top face of the keel to allow this to happen as well.

All chance in the workshop and out in the yard as I am to the end of the week

The picnic boat is now in the workshop to have the work continue on building a new keel to encapsulate the stern tube. Once the keel is made up and the. the the boat will be turned over and the rest of the refit can be done on the boat to get it ready to be used this autumn.  

The Wayfarer is now out in the yard to get the mast put up to check over the rigging and the sails and check out what is missing before it can go for its first sail in sometime.

The 8 ft dinghy tender it still up for sale at a good price and is ready to used. Just add water and enjoy exploring the local creeks and rivers.

I get in dinghies which are in need of restoring and at present I have a 10ft dinghy/tender and a 15ft dinghy fishing dinghy which can be restored at a reasonable cost and much lower than buying a new boat.

The Wayfarer is just in need of a new pair of aft side benches and a few gelcoat repairs. Then it is ready for someone to take it for sail.

 

THe Wayfarer refit coming along as I start to put the majotr items back in position on the boat.

 The rudder is now finished and just needs the new tiller made up and shaped and varnished to finish off this job on the boat

Made up the two aft side bench cleats to support the aft end of the side benches which need to be remade as the old side benches are in a very poor condition. 

The rebuilt tabernacle now refitted with new fixings . 

The forward side benches now re-fixed in position 

The forward side benches are ready to get their final coats of varnish when the other side benches are refix in position after they are made shortly.

The new port side foredeck handle now re-fixed and the fixing holes are plugged and the handle is ready for a few coats of teak oil.

Getting ready to bend the first keel section over the bottom of the hull after it has been steamed for 2 hours and now the first section steamed in position

Made up temporary studding to bolt the first section of keel to the shape of the bottom after it has been steamed for 2 hours. This is the front piece of studding 

This is the aft end piece of studding.

Just a waiting game while the piece of mahogany is steamed for 2 hours and then put over the hull and temporary bolted down on position.

The first section steamed to the bottom, just needs to cool off over night and then move it forward once the scarf is cut on the forward end. However, before that is done the section will need shaping to the original forefoot and then shaped along the length of the keel to encapsulate the stern tube. 

The aft end will need a wedge making to fill in the space between the first section and the stern tube .

 

The first section on the boat and the other section will be made as I make up the rest of the section until the stern tube is encase in a wooden keel.

Starting to make up new keel for picnic boat.

Cutting the sections of mahogany which will be the first layer of the laminated keel. 

The bottom as been painted and is now ready to have the first section of the keel steamed over the curve of the hull.

Laying out the sections of the first section of keel to see how I am going to steam the first part of the keel.

Let the fun with the steam box begin.

 

Continuing on the restoration of the Windboats Pearly Miss runabout 1960's speedboat

Now that I have been able to get the plywood for the outside of the transom it is time to seal the surface of the plywood with epoxy before bolting the plywood panel in place on a bed of marine sealant. Then both the inside and outside plywood panels with more epoxy before painting the plywood to preserve the plywood for years to come. 

 The front seat back as now got the two shoot bolts to put the seat back in the correct angle. Just needs a bracing cleat across the top of the seat back and then the panel can be covered with material and foam. 

The same will be done to the seat back and then cushions will be patterned up for the seats.

The dashboard locker will need some TLC and I have to source a new steering boss and wheel to bring the dashboard back to life.

Also I will have to find a period deck covering to put the deck back to the way it was originally done. The Covering material before was a teak planking effect which will be good to do again.  

I will have to source some white "D" section fendering to put back around the gunwale it the same way it was done originally by Windboats when this boat was build in the 1960's.
 

Getting the picnic boat bottom its next coat of Gelshield 200 and flow coating the new bunk front panels

Starting to apply the third coat of Gelshield 200 epoxy treatment.

The starboard side now as its third coat on, now it just needs a coat of interprotect to finish off the epoxy treatment.

The port side done and next week we will start on making the keel/skeg to incapuaslate stern tube  

The navigator's bunk fronts now all re-fibreglassed in position, so its time to flow coat the new fibreglass

So it is just a matter of sorting out the chain locker bulkhead.

The new bunk front panels are now flow coated and ready to be repainted by the owner when he comes to pick up the boat.