Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailer

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

The chart table and the drawer unit from Chance is in a bit of a rough condition and is in need of a bit of TLC and a few parts need replacing.





Most of the unit is in good condition, conceding it was open to the elements for quiet a long while.




It is a little bit out of shape, however, with a little bit of adjustment it will go back in shape and when the drawers are repaired they will go back into the unit.




The inside will need a bit of paint and sealing as it as had very little in the way of protection in some while.





The top is in need of TLC in the way of gluing the two part together before it is sanded down and re-varnishing





The same with the large end panel which needs bracing from behind and the gap clamping up and gluing together and sanding down and re-varnishing.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

The chart table top as dried out over the years and as split along the grain and in order to keep the chart table, it was decided to clean out the split and fill the split with epoxy glue with mahogany sawdust to make up any gaps in the split so it will look as much as possible the original mahogany.





The top as been clamped together in order to keep its shape and also clamped flat as much as possible to flatten it out so that when the glue as cured a reinforcement panel will be screwed and glued to the under side to keep the top from splitting again.




The same treatment was used on the side panel of the chart table, clamping the split together with sash clamps and the two halves leveled up so they are as flat as possible. Once again when the glue is cured there will be reinforcement panels fitted to the inside face of the side panel to stop the panel from splitting again.




The gap was clamped together as much as possible to give the glue a good bond between the two halves to help stop the to halves splitting again.




Once the work as been done to stop the panel splitting again the old varnish will be sanded back and the panels will be re-varnished ready for it to be refitted once the cockpit is rebuild.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

The chart table framework having some much needed repair work done to stabilize the framework so it can be refitted to the cockpit once the cockpit as been rebuild.





The upright rail in the photo was just one of the parts needed to stabilize the framework .




The other part needed was the corner brace to square up the framework back into its correct shape




The framework now able to stand up by itself for the first time in a long time since it was removed out of the cockpit. Once the glue as cured the other work to stabilize the unit will be done. reinforcing the side and top panels from splitting and the the whole unit will be sanded down and re-varnished ready to be refitted into the cockpit once the cockpit floor is refitted.




A good clean down and paint and varnish it will look as good as new and ready for another 70+ years.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

Having sanded back the drawer fronts and the side runners of the Chart table drawers it looks a lot better and ready for a fresh coat of varnish and the lower part a coat of fresh white paint to brighten up the lower locker in the chart table unit





A much improved chart table unit now that it has had a good sanding back to get rid of the old varnish




The side panel now repaired and sanded back to a original colour ready for a fresh coat of varnish




The chart table top which has been sanded back, although not all the age staining as been removed it is a lot better than it was before we started. Just have a small split being glued together before the whole of the top gets a final sanding back before it is varnished once more.




A gluing repair being done to the lower locker door, This will need a lower rail making to attach the door to the rest of the chart table unit as it was broken when this unit was removed from the cockpit last year.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

The first coat of thinned varnish to help protect the surface. We can now see what the colour of the wood was when Chance was originally build. The only thing we have not done is go overboard with the sanding. We have just got rid of the greyed colour back to the rich mahogany colour below the weathered surface.





The colour of the panels are beautiful rich mahogany colour you do not see much these days.




The chart table top will be good once there are a lot more coats of varnish and there are charts being used on the chart table again.





The lower locker door which is going to have a lot more coat of varnish, If this is a window into what the rest of the mahogany that was used on Chance when she was build, Chance is going to look beautiful when she is revarnished over the course of the restoration.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

This week marks the second anniversary of us becoming Chances latest owners and her restorers.


The story go back a number of years when I was asked by a former owner of Chance to do some work on her. My wife immediate fell in love with her saying that I would love a boat like this, to which I replied, we could never afford it. What even if someone gave us it. "As If" they would. After I had worked on Chance I lost contact with her whereabouts and fought I would never see her again.


Many years later, I like many people was looking through the YBW
Forum at Classic & Wooden boats. I at which point I saw what looked like Token (Chance) in a forum posting. At which time I contacted the then present owner who confirmed it was indeed Token.


He was keen to restore her, however, his wife was not. He, therefore had to to find someone to take her on and do the restoration.


I agreed to do so,


My wife came home one morning having a night shift as a nurse at a local hospital. When I dropped the bombshell. "You better sit down dear you are going to "Kill Me" !!!!


At which my wife said "Why what have you done" I have been given "Token" For once in her life my wife was speechless for moment. How, why, You said we could not afford her even if she was given to us. Well I have changed my mind, to good an option to miss, well there we are. We now own Token.


This is the start of Token (Chance) restoration by Simon, his family & friends.


This was the first photo of Token which was very quickly renamed back to her original name of "Chance" She was looking a bit sorry for herself, However, I knew she just need a person with vision and a lot of TLC and hard work to bring her back to former glory.





This is Simon looking at Chance thinking what have I taken on and what have I done. However, Tricia was thinking yes she is ours and my dream of owning a classic wooden vessel from childhood as been realized.





Having put a ladder up against her topsides and climbing into her cockpit, these further photographs show what we found inside her cabins.


In the aft cabin there was a tarpaulin with doors that had been removed from the aft cabin and when the tarpaulin was removed a bed frame which had been put in at some time in the past. The bed frame was set up athwartships and not fore and aft as it was originally build.





The main cabin was not much better it was full of rubbish and bits that had been removed and just laid on the berths, Old Vacuum cleaner and all manner of other rubbish, Some would be useful and other bits just going to go in the skip. So the first thing to do was to document what was going to be salvaged and what was going to be throw away.




One of the items in the main cabin that should not be there was the diesel cooker which to be removed from the main cabin and restored and put where it should be placed in the galley area in the cabin space forward of the main cabin.




Chance even had a full size sink fitted and lockers above

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

The port side part of the galley area with the space for diesel diesel cooker to be placed and the long workshop along the main cabin - galley area bulkhead








The starboard side of the main cabin with much of original cabinetwork still in place however some of it was hacked about especially the forward end where the diesel cooker was fitted in the incorrect position.




The aft end of the main cabin on the starboard side with its hanging locker for foul weather gear to be stored when not in use.




The port side of the main cabin showing the rubbish we had to sort through and remove from the boat before when could start to see what was below the rubbish.




In the passageway to the aft owner's cabin was situated the owner's own toilet compartment (Heads), with its own hand basin and and Baby Blake toilet. The baby Blake sea toilet being the original toilet after it was researched for the spare parts needed to restore the toilet to full working order.




The forward crew cabin in a hell of a state and in need of a lot of TLC and removing of parts that should not be there and reinstating parts that should be there. Two items that are missing from this cabin are the Junior Baby Blake and the small hand basin which should situated on the starboard side. they have long since gone, however, we will be refitting these items as part of Chance's restoration





This was our first trip to Chance on the 7th of 2021 and the first of many trips we made to Woodplumpton in Lancashire before we were able to bring Chance home to Essex to continue her restoration.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

This was the state of play after one year of driving and working in Woodplumpton and living in Essex 300 miles away and working round life commitments.

Although, it appears that little was done over the course of a year, a lot was done in removing a lot of furniture from the inside of the hull.


Because much of the work was done around my day job as a working boat builder and around my wife's work has a nurse. If we were to have had no time and travel limits on our time at Chance the work would have been done a lot quicker and the project would be further ahead by now. However, that is life and we work round it as best we can.


This photo shows the forecabin with the port side berth removed and hull paneling removed, however the chain locker bulkhead was still going to be removed shortly after this photo was taken. At which time the forecabin was washed down and the rubbish removed and the work was highlighted , what needed to be done.





This photo shows how far we had got with removing the old furniture out of the aft cabin. The transverse double berth was removed as this was not original as was the paneling down both sides of the cabin, one side already removed, as was the pine bulkhead at the back of the photo, this put in ahead of the mahogany bulkhead at sometime to support the deck as the starboard end of the deck beams had been cut off and so the deck was not supported any longer.




This photo was taken of the port side aft bulkhead in the main cabin showing the track of the air intake for the engine room and it also shows much of the furniture removed over the next few weeks more of the furniture was removed until the hull was exposed throughout the boat.




Then started the major cleaning of the hull from deck to the bottom of the bilge throughout the boat from stem to stern




This photo shows the engine bay getting cleaned by my brother John. the first time this had been done many a year.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />
Passing of a family member and supporter of our restoration of Chance

Tricia's mother Ann sadly passed away at the end of April following a long illness. Tricia's mum's passing left a great hole in all our lives, so as a mark of respect all work was put on hold with Chance to give the family time come to terms with her passing
Ann was a lady who would never let a problem or hurdle get in her way, this "never say die" spirit helped by her amazing sense of humour has in many ways helped Tricia to become the determined person she is is today.
It is with this same tenacious spirit Tricia and I are using with the restoration of Chance. Tricia has looked at a hurdle or a problem and asked many a time is there a better or different way of doing a job on Chance or any of the boat's we have restored over the years.
Many times with Tricia's non-boat building, head, Tricia has seen any hurdle from a different viewpoint and has seen a clearer way of going about the same job from a different angle. Then we would both sit down and discuss the job, sometimes Simon being a boat builder and being too close to a job can not see that there is a different way of doing the job he as done for many years. at this point Tricia has been able to show him that there is sometimes a better or different way.
Over past year or so because of Ann's deteriorating health especially during recent months Tricia's mind as not been on the restoration as can be seen from her lack of input on the blogs and videos. Which is totally understandable given her mother health over the past few years. However, Tricia hopes to get more involved in the restoration of Chance from now on.
With this in mind we will be restarting Chance's restoration in the near future with renewed spirit in our hearts.
It is going to take some time for the restoration to get back on its feet, given time and patience we will get there with the help of friends and other family members and volunteers helping us get Chance afloat once more.

[Peerie Maa]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />
Please accept my condolences for your families' loss.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

We have had this Banner commissioned so that people who visit Chance while they are down at Titchmarsh marina, will know we are working on Chance and can stop and chat and have a cuppa.

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />

With a spare few minutes at the end of my working day, working on client's boats. It was time to get the varnish brushes out and do a spot of varnishing on Chance's cockpit chart table.
This is the drop down door on the lower part of the chart table below the chart drawers.





The first of the full strength coats of epifanes varnish, just another 8 to 10 coats to go before there will be enough to seal the surface and make it hard wareing.




The front looking better than it as been for sometime like the top a lot more coats of varnish to come




The rich original colour shining through as we build up the coats of varnish on the important item of furniture in the cockpit.




The drawers are in need of a few coats of paint on the side that are not seen, as these parts have not had any paint or varnish in a long time

[jstarboats]

Re: Chance: the reborn of a classic James Silver Motor Sailebr />
Over past couple of years, life as been to say been very stressful with a lot going on in the family's personal life which impacted on our restoration project, which at time caused major changes in being able to go to Woodplumpton when Chance was there for the first 18 month's or so of the restoration project.
[COLOR=rgba(11, 12, 15, 0.95)]Covid did not help the situation, as we had to work round the travel restrictions, which caused a lot of problems with my own boat building business cutting back on working hours and the ability to get more jobs coming in to keep my business from closing down for good.
Some how we survived and were able to open up again for more work to come through the workshop and to get the business off its knees and working again.
So, after the period of the Covid pandemic was over, we were starting to rebuild our lives however, this was not going to last for long before another difficult period was going to begin, my wife Tricia mother became unwell after Covid pandemic was over.
This period of uncertainty about Tricia mother's health made it impossible to make any meaningful plans to work on Chance for any length of time and so a lot of jobs that were planned to be done were either delayed or shelved until Chance was brought down to Essex.
Tricia's mother passed away at the end of April this year. We will all miss her support for our project, However, Tricia's mother was always a woman who saw a problem as just another hurdle to overcome. So whatever, the problem it was not going to be insurmountable and just needed a clear head and at times looking outside the box for a way to get through the situation.
So now that the dust as settled on the past few years of hurdles and delays we all hope to see a clearer path ahead and so we can get on with the project a fresh and get some meaningful work underway again.
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