Friday 22 September 2017

The next restoration dinghy project ready in the workshop to go and get sorted over next few weeks

The dinghy as been stripped down to its shell, now fitting the patterns for the seats / bouyancy tanks into their set positions so thjat the hull can be keyed up to glass in the seats after the keel and other work is done to the hull.


The aft seat in this dinghy was made out of wood, which had rotted away, this new Glassfibre seat will be stronger and maore durable and last longer.


The front seat / bouyancy tank will gice the front end of the bouyancy it needs .



When this is finished the gunwales and rubbing strakes will be mahnogany and the seats will have mahnogany slats on the tops to act as non slip areas. 


The Works dinghy finally finished to go to its new owner.

The dinghy that started off as an unloved dinghy as now been restored to a loving dinghy to give its new owners many years.


Looking good from all angles 


Fitting well on its launching tollery so it is ready to go





Wednesday 20 September 2017

A leaky and found to be rotten Deadwood

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.


Tuesday 19 September 2017

Another 8ft Little Mai dinghy getting the J-Star Boat Services restoration treatment

Having removed the old seats and gunwales and rubbing strakes it is time to get down to basics with the structure of the dinghy to find out the problems with the hull and repair these these problems before setting about restoring the dinghy back to its original condition


The aft bouyacy tank/seat removed to find a hole in the back end of the keel which needs rebuilding and strengthening 


The front seat was removed to be replaced with a bouyacy tank and seat


The centre thwart kept in place while it is put in the restoration jig where the hull will be supported while it is worked on by the J-Star Boat services team of apprentices 



First stage of getting the dinghy in the workshop ready to work on moving it around on its trailer with the restroation jig on top of the boat



Trailer removed and now set up on the jig ready to get to work on the hull


As you can see the workshop is a hive of activity with a number of different dinghies in the workshop in different stages of work on them


The hull now as its wooden insert in the keel removed and ready to dry out so that a new piece of hardwood can be fitted in the keel after the aft end of the keel is repaired


The old front seat blocks now removed and the area now ready to grind back the fibreglass to key in the hull to fit the new front seat bouyancy tank.












Finally the works dinghy is now all but finished apart from a few little jobs

The final bit of filling and fairing getting done to the hull of the dinghy



Then its second coat of interprotect epoxy primer




Then is first coat of undercoat, which was followed by a second coat


Then finally a couple of coats of White Gloss 


Then getting ready to fit the edge trims to the foredeck




Now they are all fitted it was time to give the brightwork its last coat of varnish



New transom pad for the outboard to finish off the stern 


Friday 15 September 2017

filling and fairing the works dinghy and getting Mai-Star II ready to transport toyard and start work on her in the workshop.

Filling and fairing the hull ready to put on the second coat of epoxy primer an the the first coat of  yacht primer


A bit more filling and fairing needed on the port side of the hull, however, nothing that the team at J-Star Boat Services can not take in their stride. 


Mai-Star II with its cover off and the spars removed ready to get transported to the boatyard so that the work on the deck can get underway before the winter sets in.


Wednesday 13 September 2017

The Works dinghy now turned over and the work on the hull painting can begin

Masking up the hull and then sanding the shiney surface so it is keyed up ready to paint the hull with epoxy primer


The hull all sanded ready for the primer to be applied



TRhe getting its first coat of primer



The underwater surfaces getting their underwater primer coat 


The aft seat getting its last ubt one coat of varnish



The foredeck trims getting their last few coats of varnish


The bottom getting a fresh coat of antifouling paint