Life's a Gamble so we took a Chance

[jstarboats]

A lot of the planking in this part of the hull is going to have to be replaced as it is rotten and made up of short lengths

[Larks]

Really enjoying watching your progress and adventure Simon. You may have mentioned it but what sort go timber is the hull?

Could I suggest that you post slightly larger photos? It’s not easy for older eyes to see much in those small pics.

[jstarboats]

[jstarboats]

The way I first saw Chance a year ago and a job I was not looking forward to doing







First job was to cut out the sections of the transom between the beams running athwartships and then remove the bit fixed to the beams










The first of the many odd repairs done to the transom. The transom covered up the end grain of the planks with a thin layer of plywood










The frames are well rotten and need replacing first before any work can start on any part of the boat

[jstarboats]

The upper part of the transom was made up of diagonal plywood, however, the bottom part was made up of athwartships layers of plywood

[jstarboats]

One bit if you can see it, is that the starboard side as dropped and the the sheer line shows that it as happened, so the starboard side is going to have to be propped up back into position until the sheer line back in the correct position








With the ribs out of the starboard side in the aft cabin and with careful propping the shape should come back in the starboard side and the transom will be the correct shape once more

[jstarboats]

Over this past year since we started our mission to restore Chance to her former glory and get her back on the high seas where she belongs. There as been some up and downs along the way. First, we had Covid 19 which stopped us going to Chance after the first few weeks because of travel restrictions. Then other family commination’s so progress was close to say the least.
However, that is behind us now and we can get on and get some real work done on her. The hard work of dismantling the interior is behind us now, as we can now get to the hull and are able to see the ribs and frames clearly and replace all the ribs which are broken or rotten of both in some cases. Replace any rotten or damaged frames which need replacing as well.
We know that the planking was in a poor condition and was going to be replaced as a matter of the restoration, what we did not count on was the poor repairs done to Chance in the past. One major bodge was the starboard side aft section of the beam shelf and how it was replaced. It was not fixed correctly to the rest of the boat around where it is fitted in the boat.
It was not bolted in position, it was not bolted to the frames, and it was just seating in fresh air and the only places it was supported was on the tops of the bulkhead along it run from the transom to the area of the main cabin where it is jointed into the next section along the boats’ hull.
The side deck beams were just screwed through the beam shelf with a couple of steel screws as someone had just cut the ends of the beams off and not remade the half dovetail joints in the top of the beam shelf which would tie the teak laid deck together. Also, the lodging knee which connects the aft cabin deck beam to the beam shelf to the was not even re-bolted after the beam shelf was replaced so the deck beam was also floating in fresh air. This made the side deck joints open and the deck leak into the aft cabin and started to rot the lodging knee and then the aft cabin sides as it was not able to keep itself sealed because of the poor work done below the decks. This has started a chain reaction which in time continued along the starboard side deck up to the wheelhouse.
This poor repair work as had a knock-on effect in that it as made the starboard side of the hull distort out of shape and which will need addressing before any work is done on the ribs and planking.
So next time it will be time to sort out the starboard aft section of the hull and get it back into the correct shape and then start on the rest of the restoration.

[jstarboats]

Last Week on Chance in Woodplumpton
This last week in Woodplumpton was the fore cabin bilges cleaned out by my brother John so that they are clean of all the old bilge dirt, and mixture of dust, old oil and wood from pervious repairs and God knows what else. However, they are clean now and anything that is dropped in the bilge from now on can be seen and picked up without getting your hands covered in God knows what.
John did say that it could do with another cleaning as we move forward with the restoration as like any wood that as been pickled for as long as that it has it will likely leach out more oil from the planks. Time will tell on that front.
The main area that needed cleaning the most and that took the most time was the engine bay which was deep in dirt and oil and needed scrapping and brushing a lot to get rid of the hard to get at areas and where it had dried on like concrete and needed chipping off. He got there in the end and the result is a clean bilge area once more like it was 74 years ago when Chance was launched and commissioned.
In the aft cabin the broken ribs have been removed and the only thing holding that part of the hull in place are the grown ribs. The hull in now clear of any ribs that have distorted the hull shape. So now we can push the hull back into the correct shape before steaming in the new ribs back into the hull once the hull is propped back into the correct position once more.
Another job we did last week was to remove the covering boards on the starboard side decks and the starboard side of the aft deck. This uncovered a world of poorly done repairs done over the years. The biggest problem being the beam shelf replacement. The beam shelf was never it fixed to the frames with bolts and the lodging knee which held the beam shelf to the aft cabin deck beam has the bolts missing as well. The side deck short beams were not even fixed to the beam shelf with anything more than steel screws screwed into the end gran of what was left of the deck beams and the deck beams were sitting on a piece of 1” x 1” wood for support. Little wonder the deck was spreading apart there was nothing to hold it together. At the front of the side deck the deck beams were resting on the fuel tanks and when they were removed the deck collapsed.
So now the extra job is to refit the ribs in the starboard aft cabin after the hull is propped back into its correct position and then work our way forward to the wheelhouse and replace all the ribs until we get to the main cabin bulkhead. Once this is done then renew the beam shelf and the short deck beams and tie the whole of the starboard side of the hull together.
Once that is done then make a start on the hull planking along the hull to the wheelhouse before moving forward with the rest of the repairs to the ribs and planks on the starboard side.

[jstarboats]

Last Week on Chance in Woodplumpton
This last week in Woodplumpton was the fore cabin bilges cleaned out by my brother John so that they are clean of all the old bilge dirt, and mixture of dust, old oil and wood from pervious repairs and God knows what else. However, they are clean now and anything that is dropped in the bilge from now on can be seen and picked up without getting your hands covered in God knows what.
John did say that it could do with another cleaning as we move forward with the restoration as like any wood that as been pickled for as long as that it has it will likely leach out more oil from the planks. Time will tell on that front.
The main area that needed cleaning the most and that took the most time was the engine bay which was deep in dirt and oil and needed scrapping and brushing a lot to get rid of the hard to get at areas and where it had dried on like concrete and needed chipping off. He got there in the end and the result is a clean bilge area once more like it was 74 years ago when Chance was launched and commissioned.
In the aft cabin the broken ribs have been removed and the only thing holding that part of the hull in place are the grown ribs. The hull in now clear of any ribs that have distorted the hull shape. So now we can push the hull back into the correct shape before steaming in the new ribs back into the hull once the hull is propped back into the correct position once more.
Another job we did last week was to remove the covering boards on the starboard side decks and the starboard side of the aft deck. This uncovered a world of poorly done repairs done over the years. The biggest problem being the beam shelf replacement. The beam shelf was never it fixed to the frames with bolts and the lodging knee which held the beam shelf to the aft cabin deck beam has the bolts missing as well. The side deck short beams were not even fixed to the beam shelf with anything more than steel screws screwed into the end gran of what was left of the deck beams and the deck beams were sitting on a piece of 1” x 1” wood for support. Little wonder the deck was spreading apart there was nothing to hold it together. At the front of the side deck the deck beams were resting on the fuel tanks and when they were removed the deck collapsed.
So now the extra job is to refit the ribs in the starboard aft cabin after the hull is propped back into its correct position and then work our way forward to the wheelhouse and replace all the ribs until we get to the main cabin bulkhead. Once this is done then renew the beam shelf and the short deck beams and tie the whole of the starboard side of the hull together.
Once that is done then make a start on the hull planking along the hull to the wheelhouse before moving forward with the rest of the repairs to the ribs and planks on the starboard side.

[jstarboats]

As I am going through my restoration of Chance, I would like to pick up some original bits and pieces which are missing from her. namely 8 inch brass Portholes, cleats, davits, stanchions, etc.. So if any of you Silver owners have any of the bits I am looking for could DM me we can discuss the matter further. It would be good to put back some of the original fittings as I would like to put her back to the way she was when she was first launched back in 1948.
Regards
Simon
Owner and Restorer of the James Silver "Western Isles" Chance

[jstarboats]

It is now two weeks since we were at Chance in Woodplumpton and after some of the hottest weather we have had since 1976. It has been too hot to work at our normal rate until now that the temperature as got a little lower, we are now able this weekend to start to put many of the parts we brought down from Chance on to the shelves in my workshop until it is time to make a start on restoring these parts where it is possible to do so. Where that is not possible to do then there will have to be new parts made to match the original as much as possible.
This could a challenge, as the mahogany Chance was build from in 1948 was Honduras Mahogany which is almost impossible to get hold of in this present time. So I am going to have to source a close African mahogany that is the best to use to keep the interior cabinet work as close to the original as it is possible to do so,
Many of the parts brought back were the cockpit floorboards which will have to have some work done on them to sort them out as some are the original Teak floorboards some have gone missing and have been replaced with marine plywood. So I will be on the hunt for some teak to replace the plywood floorboards and the put the floorboards back has they should be. Also, another item we will have to replace is the missing is the second cockpit steel floor bearer which appears to have gone missing sometime in the past.
That is where w stand now in the restoration project, We have spent the last year dismantling Chance back to where we have it now. That is to say we have the hull exposed on the inside and we can now get to all the parts of the inside that we need to work on to replace the planking and the ribs and in some cases the frames. So now starts the long job of replacing ribs and planks and a few frames and the odd bit of beam shelf and in some places a part of the teak decking.
So it is now time to make plans to go back up to Woodplumpton after we have sourced some oak to start sorting the transom rebuild out and also to make up some new ribs to replace the ribs which have already removed. However, the work on the ribs will have to wait until we have put the transom back in its correct position has the starboard side as dropped down amount which can be scene when you look at the transom and see that the framework which makes up the transom edge as clearly dropped on the starboard side. It can be seen on the sheer strake plank from the cockpit to the transom on the starboard side.
So that we be our first job when we get back to Chance, that is to level Chance up with more props and chocks and once this is done unfix the framework and the planks on the transom framework and correct this part of the hull before getting grips with any other part of the boats hull.
So next time at Chance it is going to be an interesting time.

[jstarboats]

It is now two weeks since we were at Chance in Woodplumpton and after some of the hottest weather we have had since 1976. It has been too hot to work at our normal rate until now that the temperature as got a little lower, we are now able this weekend to start to put many of the parts we brought down from Chance on to the shelves in my workshop until it is time to make a start on restoring these parts where it is possible to do so. Where that is not possible to do then there will have to be new parts made to match the original as much as possible.
This could a challenge, as the mahogany Chance was build from in 1948 was Honduras Mahogany which is almost impossible to get hold of in this present time. So I am going to have to source a close African mahogany that is the best to use to keep the interior cabinet work as close to the original as it is possible to do so,
Many of the parts brought back were the cockpit floorboards which will have to have some work done on them to sort them out as some are the original Teak floorboards some have gone missing and have been replaced with marine plywood. So I will be on the hunt for some teak to replace the plywood floorboards and the put the floorboards back has they should be. Also, another item we will have to replace is the missing is the second cockpit steel floor bearer which appears to have gone missing sometime in the past.
That is where w stand now in the restoration project, We have spent the last year dismantling Chance back to where we have it now. That is to say we have the hull exposed on the inside and we can now get to all the parts of the inside that we need to work on to replace the planking and the ribs and in some cases the frames. So now starts the long job of replacing ribs and planks and a few frames and the odd bit of beam shelf and in some places a part of the teak decking.
So it is now time to make plans to go back up to Woodplumpton after we have sourced some oak to start sorting the transom rebuild out and also to make up some new ribs to replace the ribs which have already removed. However, the work on the ribs will have to wait until we have put the transom back in its correct position has the starboard side as dropped down amount which can be scene when you look at the transom and see that the framework which makes up the transom edge as clearly dropped on the starboard side. It can be seen on the sheer strake plank from the cockpit to the transom on the starboard side.
So that we be our first job when we get back to Chance, that is to level Chance up with more props and chocks and once this is done unfix the framework and the planks on the transom framework and correct this part of the hull before getting grips with any other part of the boats hull.
So next time at Chance it is going to be an interesting time.

[jstarboats]

After four to five months of fruitless searching for a replacement for my transit van, we have found a well suited replacement for the transit van. It will do all the things we need it to do and more. I will even be able to tow small boats around and bring the boats to the yard to be repaired and then return to their owners.





It will also be able to tow our large caravan around with ease as it as a large engine and is four wheel drive and so will make towing our caravan a lot easier than before and also loading up our large trailer to move the materials we will be using to restore Chances' hull and ribs and frames.




One proud new owner looking forward to getting to know our new addition to the family as we travel up and down the country restoring Chance before we bring Chance back home to Essex

[jstarboats]

Next Trip to Woodplumpton, rebuilding the starboard quarter as the first stage in her restoration

I have a busy time working on my day job looking after other peoples boats. Also trying to find a new to me works vehicle. A long hard look, however, finally got the right vehicle. Now I have to get the rib and planking materials together and then make my way up to Woodplumpton to start getting Chance set up correctly to refit the new ribs and then the first of the new planks after I have sorted out the twist and misshapenness in Chances' starboard aft quarter. Which if you look at the photos I have taken shows that the starboard has dropped and it shows that on the sheer line.

So one of the first jobs is to release the transom framework so that the hull can move and push the sheer line back into position, so that when we refit the ribs the hull will be back in the correct position. The major work is to remove the beam shelf which is not fixed to anything at the moment and the deck beams and knees are floating in fresh air and will have to be replaced. So major work ahead on my next trip to Woodplumpton in a few weeks time.

[jstarboats]

One of the many jobs that have to be done, is the repairing of parts of the interior which can be undertaken in the workshop back in Essex.


One of the jobs is to removing the rotten parts from the many cupboard doors from the interior of Chance which were taken off her earlier in the restoration. Many of the parts were very wet and now have had time to dry out.


Now that the parts are dried out it can be seen what is rotten and what was just wet.
This galley cupboard door was one that was both wet and rotten and now as dried out we can see what is rotten and how to remove the parts that are rotten and keep the parts that have dried out and will only need sanding and staining and varnishing before they are refitted later on in the restoration.




The first job we have to do is carefully dismantle the frame of the door off the centre panel using a Squeezy clamp setup in reverse where the feet are set to push parts apart from each other rather than to clamp them together.





Once the first part is apart from the centre panel then you repeat the process on the other parts until the two parts you need off the rest of the door are done

[jstarboats]

Then look for some mahogany that is a close match to the original mahogany and then thickness it to the correct size




Then set up the mortise drill on the large pillar drill to make the mortises
When Chance was build they may have these drills, however, if they did not have these mortise drills, they would have been done by hand with a twist drill bit and a mortise chisel and a wooden mallet and would take a lot more time than using this mortise drill setup on the pillar drill.




The business end of the mortise cutter




These two doors are off Chance and they are in need of a complete rebuilding as they are rotten in too many places to make repair the way to go






The first of many revisions of the restoration project work list which will be change many a time over the coming months as we progress on with the restoration project

[jstarboats]

Looking for volunteers to help us steam bend and fit new oak ribs in Chance. T.B.A. when I can get the time off from work repairing other peoples boats. So if anybody would like to come and help us get the first stage of the restoration underway and get the hull of Chance sound enough to move her before the winter. DM me through the forum.

Thanks in advance
Simon,Tricia and Michael
The Life's a Gamble, so lets take a Chance team

[jstarboats]

As part of our restoration project when we are not at Chance is doing work at the workshop.


One of the jobs is to restore the original Baby Blakes toilet back to working condition so it can go back in the aft heads compartment when that part of the boat is refitted back to its original specification





Although the toilet is in a bit of a dirty condition, it will soon clean up and once again come clean and ready fro years of further use.




This single large bore skin fitting is unlike any other skin fitting in the boat and appears to have been custom made for the boat.




Some of the skin fitting were able to be removed with their original backing plate and are in good condition and will only need cleaning up and used again, other backing plate were in a poor condition due to corrosion.
The two skin fittings in this photo are the aft heads toilet skin fittings and are in good condition.




The aft heads compartment sink skin fitting

[jstarboats]

This is the fore cabin sink out let skin fitting





These are the two fore cabin toilet skin fittings


At sometime in the past the fore cabin sink and toilet were removed and the skin fittings were locked closed and left in position. As part of the restoration the fore cabin toilet and sink will be refitted as they were originally fitted when Chance was commissioned and launched in 1948.




The original deck fillers for the fuel and water tanks which after they have been restored will be refitted to the restored teak deck of Chance.

This is the fore cabin sink out let skin fitting





These are the two fore cabin toilet skin fittings


At sometime in the past the fore cabin sink and toilet were removed and the skin fittings were locked closed and left in position. As part of the restoration the fore cabin toilet and sink will be refitted as they were originally fitted when Chance was commissioned and launched in 1948.




The original deck fillers for the fuel and water tanks which after they have been restored will be refitted to the restored teak deck of Chance.