The 8ft dinghy restoration well underway

The dinghy now as been painted on the inside and so have the rubbing strakes and gunwales have been given their first coat of varnish 

The varnish work is now starting to look good after all the hard work on the dinghy so far

Just the breasthook amd the stern knees to fit to finish off the woodwork on the inside of the dinghy

The centre thwart is now getting its buildup coat of varnish and will soon be fitted into the dinghy and then the dinghy can be turned over to paint the hull.

Major overhaul of this yacht's systems

One of the first jobs was to compound the hull and get rid of the dirt and dull finish the gelcoat had got from years of lack of maintenance of the hull.

The next job was to sort out the wiring and the swtich panel and the general electrics which are in a bit of a mess after years of adding euipment year after year and not up rating the electrical system to cope with the added drain on the battery.

1980's electricial system a litte basic at best.

Deck fitting for the masthead light trapped under the mast base

Mast light wires that were never wired up 

The VHF cable visble but not te deck socket wire

A bit of added on electrics, not the way ahead, if you need to add systems make the wiring as neat as possible and as short a run to sop voltage drop.

A mass of earth wires back to the battery when one heavy duty cable will do the job and be neaer and safer.

More added electrics 

Engine in good order just needs a good general look over and any problems sorted out when it is recomissioned 

One of the lease favour jobs re-pumping the toilet pipewor and change the seacooks for new skin fittings 

Not a lot of room to get at the skin fittings to remove them from this area

A cooker that as seen better days and is in need of upgrading to a modern cooker and grill and an overhaul of the whole of the gas system m bottle to cooker.

Continuing rudder repairs

After cutting slots for biscuits, then glued together with two types of clamps to ensure the new piece was held square and level 

This morning after clearing off all the glue and ready to sort out the angles for the tiller positions when it is set up for sailing and when it is in harbour

All finished now just got to wait for the fittings to return form the engineers after they have made new rudder bearing

Busy Monday down at the boatyard

The bow and stern seats now glassed in position 

Steam box all set up ready to steam the rubbing strakes and gunwales in position  

All clamped in position and just leaving to cool off  so in the morning can be fixed in position with copper nails and roves and the in will be the turn of making and fixing the breasthook and quarter knees. 

The 8ft dinghy mould all waxed up and ready to start moulding a new dinghy

The Jaguar 25  repair getting underway

Making a pattern to reshape the top of the rudder after removing the rotten wood and making the and gluing the new piece in place.

Wooden rudder repairs

Just been given a rudder to repair. It has turned out to be a be more than just a small repair when the top of the rudder fell to pieces

The top of the rudder blade is rotten as well to will have to fit a new piece into the rudder blade before rebuilding the rudder.

Tell tail signs of poor quality fixings being used in the past. 

One rudder cheek down one more to go

The extent of the rot in the top section of the rudder blade, Cut out the rot and set a new piece in and epoxy the whole of the blade to seal the area.