J-Star Marine Services over the past 40 years

A photo of the three people who started J-Star Marine Services 40 years ago this week  

The present workshop and yard from which business work from in Essex

When we are not in the workshop or in the yard we are out on the road serving of clients in other parts of the country 

We build classic GRP dinghies from modern materials from sources close to the yard where possible. All the timber comes from FSC forests and from other fixtures and fittings are sourced locally where possible to reduce the business's carbon footprint as low as possible.

We repair and maintain classic as well as modern boats, A Enterprise dinghy which this year celebrates its 60th year and a modern Hardy Navigator   

We build traditional clinker build dinghies to order  

We either maintain motor launches and larger motorboats for many clients around the local area.

 

The cover is over Mai Star II and so the work can begin with the cabin coming off carlins andbeing put in the workshop

The framework tent is going together slowly but surely and it will be getting it covered shortly

The framework now finished and the cover put over the boat so that work can begin to get the cabin sides and front off the carlins and in the workshop to be sorted an jigged up ready to put back on the boat when all the deck beams and side deck beams and carlins  are remade and the cabin can be fitted on a stable deck structure  

Now that the cover is in place it is time to get the area under the boat clear of any rubbish that will stop from being able to get to any of the under water parts of the hull where it is a needed to get to remove and replace any fittings  

The cover is a close fit to the boat, however, there is enough space around the boat to get to the necessary parts to come off and replace them when it is time to do it.

The Cornish Crabber is coming along reasonably well with the centreboard case glassing in coming along with a steady build up of layers of fibreglass to re-instate the case once more.

 

Centreboard case now getting glassed in with two layers a day until we have 12 layers

The case is now getting two layers of fibreglass a day one CSM and interwoven roving until it is build up to the original and then an extra four layers to be on the safe side and then glass in the triangular webs up beef up the pivot area 

The centreboard case will beevery bit as great as it was before if no a whole lot more.

The framework tent is almost finished just got tofinish off the bottom of the legs and then put the cover over the frame and then that will keep the weather off the boat and will be able to get on with the refit.

 

On the 10th September this year we will be celebrating our 40th year work anniversary and looking forward to the next 40 years

 On the 10th September this year we will be celebrating our 40th year work anniversary. We have seen a lot of changes in the marine industry over these years and are looking forward the next 40 years with our next generation of family boat builders continuing the same family values into the future.

Building up the layers of CSM and interwoven roving on the centreboard case and starting to put the framework tent over Mai Star II

Now the centreboard case is tacked in position with a single layer of 2oz CSM. It will now have layers of CSM followed by interwoven roving until the original amount of layup is achieved and then it will be re-enforced with a a pair of  marine plywood webs glassed on to the centreboard case and glassed on to the bottom of the bottom to take any stress loading on the centreboard

The framework tent is stating to go up around Mai Star II, The good part of this framework is that you can shorten it or make it any length you like, for Mai Star II we can leave out one of the sections as it will belong enough without fitting the last section. 

 Once the tent cover is put over then I will be able to put lights under the cover to make it possible to work on it over the short winter days and long nights