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Busy week ahead on Chance

It has been a fortnight since we have been up at Woodplumpton and it is now time to go up to Woodplumpton again for a weeks work on Chance.
Now that all but the masts...

Update of work underway on Chance over the past few weeks and our plans for the future

This is an update to let you all know what we have been up to over the past few weeks and month. We have...

After the week away in Woodplumpton on Chance it is back to Mai Star II
Now we have returned from Woodplumpton it is the turn of Mai Star II to get some of the work done to her.
One of the jobs...

Planning for the next trip to Woodplumpton to start on the hull repairs

This is going to be our first place we are going to tackle, the aft cabin on the starboard side with the worse area of rib...

A hearty breakfast at the local Costa Coffee and then off to Windermere

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At last all the major tasks are completed on Chance and the reconstruction can start on our next trip to Woodplumpton

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This week has been a very productive week on the restoration of Chance with the removal of the water and fuel tanks out of the cockpit and the removal of the propeller shafts out of the stern tubes. ...

The starboard fuel tank had to be moved along the length of the cockpit before it would move out into the centre of the cockpit ready to be craned out of the boat tomorrow. ...

The propeller shafts and propellers finally removed and now to get the stern tubes

The propellers and shafts now removed out of the boat and on the pile of other scrapped items removed this time. ...

The position of tabernacle and the hole for the chimney for the solid fuel fire in the main cabin and the only ventilation in the main cabin apart from opening the skylight hatches


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A view from the very forward end of the foredeck looking aft to show the position of the deck hatches and the cooker chimney which is getting removed as it is not to be in that position or in the...

These water locks which were in the cockpit lockers are a part that was not in the boat when the engine were originally fitted. They are Volvo Penta water locks which are unlikely to have been fitted...

After cutting off the exposed part of the propeller shafts on both sides of the boat it was time to removed the outer gland fitting. The only problem being was that the outer gland came out not in...

For the most part it is in reasonable condition, however, because of poor planking repairs a lot more as to come out to make the hull be strong again.

Yesterday I continued sand back the hull planking from the waterline to the decks as you can see from these photos.

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As we had looked into the tanks while they were still in position and find they were U/S we decided that the best course of action was to remove the tanks in which ever way was easiest. So out with...

First full day back at Chance at Woodplumpton, straight back to sanding the hull back to expose the planking and highlighting any rotten planking covered by paint or filler.

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This coming week will be spent in Woodplumpton on Chance

On the road in the morning from Essex up to Woodplumpton to make a start on the latest stage of the restoration of Chance. This week my...

In this photo two parts of the cupboard front from under the sink on the starboard side of the galley area
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These bits are the two parts of the original galley top and two of the sides

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A very difficult to understand they way was put together when she was built.

The more we take Chance to pieces the more difficult it is to understand the reasoning behind her build and the...

Work for the next few days weather permitting
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Starting tomorrow, it is hoped that the pattern can be made to the make the new frame which was removed because it was rotten and had signs of land...

Tomorrow, while many people will be taking advantage of a four day holiday, I will be working on Mai Star II, As my workshop and yard is closed to clients for the holiday it gives me time to get on...

The wardrobe in the main cabin is made up of various parts which have to be taken apart and cleaned up. This photo is the bottom part of the lower part of the front of the wardrobe

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In order to make the cabin sides safe to work on there has been a board fitted under the cabin sides while it is made safe to remove the cabin sides in one piece

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This piece is the front of the hanging wardrobe in the main cabin has you come down the steps on the starboard hand side

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I like your Motto Breakway RegardsSimon

This is Chance undergoing a pervious Restoration which failed to get finished as the owner at the time did not have the funds to complete the restoration it needed.

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Last weekend after we came back from a week away working on Chance at Woodplumpton.

It was time to unload the Trailer of the last bits of the furniture from the inside of Chance which is going to...

The Enterprise dinghy to get spruced up ready the sailing season, along side the Enterprise dinghy is the Mai Star Class dinghy which needs a sprucing up has well, The Mai Star Class dinghy also need...

This is a new Thread as the other thread as gone down, This follows the restoration of our James Silver Western Isles Motor Sailer "Chance" and the journey my family and I are on to restore this once...

The first job with the windlass will be to give it a good cleaning down and check all the moving parts for wear and if any is find get the parts remade to fit the windlass


On the manufacturers...

The port side is clear of all the sheer strake plank
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Starting to make a start on removing the last bits of the sheer strake on the starboard side, once this is removed then can tackle the beam shelf and the lodging and hanging knees

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The first stage in getting rib of the rotten planks and broken ribs, take...

Chance like a lot of James Silver / John Bain designed boats at the time Chance was build, they were twin screw single rudder designed.

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Along way to go, not finding too much more than, i did not know was rotten, however I was able to find the positions of the main mast chain plates under the paintwork once it was removed.


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Along way to go, not finding too much more than, i did not know was rotten, however I was able to find the positions of the main mast chain plates under the paintwork once it was removed.


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Before I started on the hull

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Salvaging an old roof light from Chance when she was first built in1948


This cabin roof light came from Chance, it is from a time when Chance first had electric lights fitted to her early in...

Micheal hard at work sanding down the doors to get them ready for the next five coats of 50% thinned varnish

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First stage of fitting the baffle plate in the water tank


Having set up the position of the baffle plate in the water tank it was time to sand down the faces of the baffle plate and the water...

First shape the moulding pattern to fit and then cut the moulded baffle plate

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The smaller doors from Chance getting their first 5 coats of 75% thinned varnish and then getting rub down

The smaller doors from Chances' interior set out and getting their first five coats of...

Our Son Michael making a start on the first of his doors off Chance, they have been varnished last week and have been left for a week for the varnish to harden off and so making the sanding down...

My wife Tricia's new job now she has retired from being a Nurse for the past 38 years

This is not her first time doing any type of rubbing down of varnish work, Tricia helped me with our other...

First I had to dismantle the affected doors like this door and clean up the joints and then clean the joints with acetone and then use a modern glue to glue and fix the joint back together.

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The condition of the impeller when the leg was removed from the boat, one melted and misshaped impeller

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Now the first side as been given five coats of thinned varnish it is now time to give the other side of the doors the same treatment

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So it begins, the long road of daily varnishing until these doors look like them should be

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