My winter projects for this winter.

[jstarboats]

This year I have two projects that I am doing one project is to restore an old 1960 Enterprise and the other is to build a new clinker 11ft dinghy.

The Enterprise is a boat in which I started sailing in as a young child and is a boat close to my heart. When I was given it, it was in a rough condition, however it was useable for a couple of years. However, age caught her up and it was time to call it a day on its sailing days until the restoration was completed.

That is where I am now. I am removing the hull panels and renewing them.


The other project is to build a new clinker dinghy as a tender for my other restoration project from a few years ago which was a East Coast Gaff Cutter from 1939 which was found in a back garden on the banks of the River Thames in need of a lot of TLC.

[Thad]

A busy productive winter ahead!

[jstarboats]

Hi Thad,

I hope it is a productive winter ahead and I get all the work done that I would like to get through and then enjoy the spring next year sailing my classic gaffer along the East coast and creeks.

[Thad]

And, a very worthy goal/incentive!

[jstarboats]

The thread as been a bit quiet for a while, This is because there has been a lot of things going on in my life that as stopped me posting updates on the thread. However, things a little better now and some of the projects that have been put on hold can now start up again. One being the Enterprise dinghy. another the new wooden dinghy I have been building over the past few years and my own yacht and its tender which now I can get back too and make some headway on.

[jstarboats]

First the apprentice had to mark out the piece of ash he was going to use for the shaft for the paddle


The apprentice cutting out the blade blanks


Once all the pieces with cut they had to be put through the planner thicknesser to get them to the correct size

The make a start on making the shaft round by using the same method you use to make a round mast from a square piece of wood



Having cut the blades for the paddle leaving on a bit for cramping up which once the glue as set can then be cut to close to correct size to plane and shape the paddle.

[jstarboats]

The second apprentice learning to use hand tools as chisels to shape the shaft of his paddle



Carefully using a paring chisel to continue to shape the shaft of the paddle near to where the blades are going to be glued on to the shaft to continue the next stage of the making of the paddle.







How the shaft of the paddle started







Now getting closer to the finished shape







Now sanding the the final high spots off the shaft





As a company we employ disable young people to help them achieve their goals of becoming boat builders as we find they practical talents which would otherwise be lost. if not given the chance to use their practical skills.

[seedy]

Excellent! Nothing to it but to do it.

[jstarboats]

Hi,

At last the weather appears to be settling down a bit after Storm Doris and we can start to get boats moved around and get on with some of the boats that have been laid up over the winter that are in need of some TLC to get them back on the water. There is the work's dinghy and the Enterprise dinghy both in need of some serious work to get them back on the water. The time scale is short on both these boats as both need to be on the water by Easter.

The work's dinghy is in need of a new plywood back pad on the inside of the transom and a new plywood fore deck and forward locker floor and the centre thwart refitting and a set of floorboards and a fresh paint job on the hull.


The Enterprise needs it deck sanding down and re-varnishing as well as inside of the hull needs re-varnishing and the floor needs repainting with anti -slip paint. then the rigging needs renewing both standing and running rigging. Also an inspection hatch in the front bulkhead to keep the forward area dried and air flowing round where the Dinghy is not sailing.

These jobs and work on my clients boats and yachts during the week and my old gaffer to get finished off and sailing again this year. So it is going to be a busy few months ahead.

[jstarboats]

An Enterprise in need of a good bit of restoration and a good drying out before it can get re-varnishing on the decks and inside before it can get refitted




The decks need a good rubbing down and re-varnishing




The port front spray rail needs to befitted and the deck fittings will be complete



Now that it is in the workshop and out of the weather then work can re-start on the Enterprise

[jstarboats]

Sanding back the decks to bare wood



After the first sanding

Same being done to the foredeck




Coming up to a good surface

Foredeck coming back to a good condition, just need a lot more sanding before several coats of varnish

[jstarboats]

Today the first coats of thinned varnish were applied to the decks and they have come up quiet well after they were sanded back to bare wood.


Just a lot more coats to go before the thicker coats of varnish can be applied

[jstarboats]

Got the most difficult quadrant sorted and sealed down



It as been a long job and at time difficult however the end result is worth the time

[jstarboats]

One of the main jobs on the inside was to clean down the painted bottom panels and wash down the varnish work so the work can start on getting the inside sorted.



A bit of elbow grease and some washing up liquid and a scrubbing brush and it is a whole lot cleaner and ready to be worked on when it as dried out over the weekend







The varnishing on the decks is coming along well with the surface now building up the layers







Rubbing down between coats and then applying more varnish







A long job, however, the end result will be worth the hours of rubbing down and varnishing when it is finished

[jstarboats]

The Enterprise restoration is coming along well with the deck now finished off apart from the final coats of varnish towards the end of the restoration. Now we have made a start on the inside of the Enterprise scraping and sanding down the inside and fitting the inspection hatch in the front buoyancy tank and now have the two drain holes in the bottom and then fit the drain plugs. The seats and aft thwart have come out to be sanded down and re-varnished, when finished put to one side to be stored until the rest of the varnishing is finished in the dinghy, when it will be refitted in position.That is going to be sometime as the inside needs a lot of sanding and re-varnishing. There are a few items to go back on the deck especially the front spray rails and the mainsheet traveller and the jig sheet fairleads and the front handles.

The mast and sails will need some work as well. Mainly the mast as this needs a complete overhaul with standing and running rigging needing to be replaced, the pulleys need to be removed, freed up and replaced if need be to ensure when we go sailing it all works correctly and there are no breakages.

So although we have come a long way so far there is a long road ahead to get the enterprise back on the water.

We have to find some new buoyancy bags to go under the seats and behind the aft thwart, so going to be a trawl through the internet for these as well as the rigging. So happy hunting on the internet for these items.

[jstarboats]

Jasmine returned to the boatyard for a few jobs which include a new deck.Having removed the old deck the apprentices cut the new deck to shape and masked up the beams positions and varnished the under side of the deck to seal the plywood from underneath.



A lot of varnishing was done so that the deck could go on as soon as possible





While the deck was being varnished the new aft locker bulkheads were being fitted and then cut down to the correct height



Starting to fit the aft deck


Laying the foredeck panels down in place and getting ready to cut the joints to fit them together once the new king plank is fitted under the foredeck to fix the foredeck down too when the foredeck is cut to size.

[jstarboats]

A couple of photos of the two planks that need replacing, the same plank on both sides and for the same length.

Once these jobs are done then it will be fitting two new cockpit coamings and then all the seats and thwarts and the deck fittings and finally the rubbing strakes.

[jstarboats]

Second plank forward scarf dry fitted



Port side all nailed up ready to by cliched up over the weekend







Going to be a long day

Once the cliching is done then the new deck can get glued and screwed in position







Another couple pf rows of nails to be cliched up next week the joys of clinker build boats

[jstarboats]

Just sorting out the scarph on the forward end of the aft part of the side deck


Dry fitting the port side panel and cutting the scarph on the aft end of the fore deck panel



Dry fitting the scraph joint



Both panels have their scraph joints dry fitted and just the central joint to sort out.

[jstarboats]

The deck finally fitting

All glued and screwed down and now being trimmed back




The last two ribs now steamed in position and cliched in position





The deck all done and now to start to cover with epoxy and matting and then start to fit the deck fittings and rubbing strakes and the cockpit coamings

[jstarboats]

The deck screwed down and the screws holes filled with filler and the seats starting to go back in



The seats are now starting to go back in and get fixed in

[jstarboats]

An empty shell at the beginning of the day

The thwarts and side benches now getting screwed in position



The jigsaw puzzle now coming together at last

The decks now taking shape and soon be ready to get covered with epoxy and matting

Good to see the boat coming together and looking more like its old self once more and getting ready to go sailing

[jstarboats]

The deck was sanded smooth and then given a coat of International InterProtect Primer to seal the epoxy covered deck and give it a base to paint the deck paint on to once it as cured



One job done and once the deck paint is applied the Rubbing strakes and coamings can be made and fitted



Then comes the days of refitting all the fittings both on deck and elsewhere on the dinghy. Then it will be off to the rigging people for its new standing and running rigging.

[jstarboats]

As you can see over the past week or so the work on Jasmine as come on at a pace and will soon be off to the riggers to get a new set of standing and running rigging and once again be back afloat where she belongs and which she as missed for at least ten years.


Today we finally started do the finishing touches to Jasmine to get her to return her to her ownebr />

The job now is to get her ready to go to the riggers to have rigging sorted out.

[jstarboats]

This coming week is going to be spent sorting out the workshop and get boats moved about and some out and others in so we can make the best use of the workshop and yard space. Hopefully get the Mai-Star Class dinghy in the workshop and finished off and sold and get the next Mai-Star Class dinghy started as a winter project for the apprentices to cut their teeth on as they get their practical part of their course done. At least this is plan A!

[jstarboats]

The main problem is where to start with cleaning the old things you do not need any more




Got to start somewhere it might as well be the shelves and then that will make room on the floor for boats and the other equipment like bandsaws, table saws and pillar drills and other heavy equipment.







Two new larch boards to repair the clinker dinghy will have just got in for repaibr />

An old GRP dinghy will have got in to restore









The clinker dinghy which needs two new planks

[jstarboats]

Having cut to shape it was time to plane the rebates on the top and bottom edge front and rear before dry fitting the plaqnk

Steaming the gunwales on the opposite side top plank while working on the replacement plank

Fitting the new replacement plank using traditional clamps

final positioning of the plank before nailing and clinching in position

[jstarboats]

Mai-Star I dinghy ready to get its new gunwales and rubbing strakes



Starboard side done



Then the port side is done




Looking a lot better and the top edge of the dinghy is a lot less flexible

[jstarboats]

Starting to fit the second Replacement plank after planning it down to the correct thickness with the thicknesser / Plannebr />
The Plank getting its first dry fitting after planning on the rebates at each end



Using a mixture of old fashion peg clamps and modern G Clamps


The young apprentice watching his father fit a plank so he can help fit the next plank on the dinghy



The top strake being refitted, so the gunwales can be fitted next and the then the rest of the fitting out can being







Finally the top strake is nailed into position and the rest of the fitting out can go ahead.

[jstarboats]

Dry fitting the gunwales



At last the dinghy is coming on a pace and with time and patience will come together for the winter when I will be able to take it for a trip on the local rivers.







At the moment a open space, however, not for long.

[jstarboats]

Doing some work on one of my client's yacht after he asked me to look into why his yacht's stern gear was leaking and this is what I found to be the problem.

The deadwood of a yacht I have been asked to renew as it was leaky

The top and part of the side of the deadwood found to be rotten once we started to remove the bolts out of the deadwood

A long a steady job getting the bolts out of the deadwood, but at the same time trying to keep the shape of the deadwood intact.


Two of the bolts had corroded away at the place where the deadwood fits the hog of the boat.

[jstarboats]

The dinghy as been stripped out and the keel areas have been cleared up and the first of the hardwood fillets as been glassed into position



The whole of the keel recess as been filled up with a hardwood fillet and CSM matting and resin




A brace is being used to push the wooden fillet down so it fits the shape of the keel recess


The seat patterns are put into position to make sure the hull is keyed up in the correct place




Patterns made up for the transom pad and the quarter knees and the breasthook, so they can be made over and over again and cuts down on making patterns every time we make or restore an 8 ft dinghy in the future.

[jstarboats]

The area in the yard cleared ready for her arrival at the yard

Peter Down's Boat Transport picked the yacht up this morning from Fox's Marina Ipswich and were at the yard in good time.

Peter and his son were soon on the case and unloaded in a quick time and the yacht was soon set upo in its new home and ready to be worked on over the next few months

All safe and sound and ready for a cradle to be made over the next week ready for the team to get on with her refit.

[jstarboats]

An empty space in the workshop, however, not for long.

Another restoration dinghy project soon in the space left by the works dinghy restoration which has gone to its new owner earlier this week

Making the new Glass fibre bow and stern seats

Badding in the new keel hardwood member and when sanded back will be covered with Glassfibre matting and flowcoat

[jstarboats]

The Shetland family four refit is getting underway again now that other projects have been finished and the boat have gone to their new or present owners after their refits.



The windows looking good now they are now refitted, however the outer covering will stay on until the refit is finished to safeguard the window material.